<p>More repressive legal arsenal and awareness of planters: Côte d'Ivoire, the world leader in cashew nut production, now considered "a strategic product", wants to fight relentlessly against the smuggling of nuts to neighboring countries.The 2021 marketing campaign for "gray gold", the cashew or cashew nut, opened on February 5.</p> <p>That of 2020 resulted in a 33% increase in the harvest, or more than 840,000 tonnes. A total of 297 billion FCFA (453 million euros) were distributed to producers against 238 billion in 2019 (363 million euros). But "between 150,000 and 200,000 tonnes were illicitly sold" last year to neighboring countries, including Ghana and Burkina Faso, "against nearly 100,000 tonnes" in 2019, according to official figures.</p> <p>"Each year, the leakage of production is a great concern" told AFP Adama Coulibaly, director of the Ivorian Cotton-Cashew Council (CCA) which manages the sector: "We are trying to do everything possible to limit the departure of our wealth to neighboring (countries) ".</p> <p>In 2020, Côte d'Ivoire strengthened its legal arsenal with a government ordinance that repealed that of 2018 deemed "ineffective" to fight against contraband which also affects cocoa, of which the country is also the world's largest producer.</p> <p>"We have more leeway against the criminals of the economy. Because each kilo that comes out is a loss for the national economy and for the industry," insists the boss of the CCA. The offender now risks up to 10 years in prison, a 50 million CFA francs (75,000 euros) fine and the seizure of his harvest.</p> <p>- "Hit hard" -</p> <p>"You have to hit hard, where it hurts, on the wallet" of those who organize this trafficking, most of whom are installed in the surrounding countries, believes Mr. Coulibaly.</p> <p>Without questioning the effectiveness of the new measures, many specialists believe, however, that a good price paid to the growers and a better quality of the product constitute the real parade against the leak of this flagship product from Ivorian agriculture.</p> <p>"It's a well-organized network", explains on condition of anonymity a farmer from Ferkéssédougou, the main cashew production region, near the Burkinabè border (north).</p> <p>"Here the prices fixed between 400 (0.6 euro) and 500 FCFA (0.7 euro) per kilo are not respected, while we manage to sell it between 800 (1.2 euros) and 1,500 FCFA (2 , 2 euros) per kilo in Burkina Faso, "he says.</p> <p>The cashews are transported by the many tracks that cross the porous borders separating Côte d'Ivoire from Burkina.</p> <p>"Côte d'Ivoire is now paying for the poor quality of its production" which pushes "exporters to offer (to planters) purchase prices below those practiced in its neighbors like Ghana where the quality is better ", explains Klotioloma Soro, coordinator of the National Rural Development Support Agency (Anader).</p> <p>- "Awakening committee" -</p> <p>With repression, awareness is now at the heart of the anti-smuggling policy.</p> <p>A campaign took place last week in the northern regions after the government's decision "to instruct the services in charge of border protection (...) to take all measures to combat the leakage of nuts by land borders ".</p> <p>An "awakening committee" headed by the prefect in these regions has been set up, made up of buyers, police, gendarmes and soldiers responsible for applying these measures.</p> <p>In addition to the fight against the leakage of its production, the Ivorian cashew sector, which has 350,000 producers, must also take up the challenge of processing: Africa provides about 90% of the world production of cashew nuts, but does not locally transforms only 10%.</p> <p>South America and especially Asia, transform not only their production but also that of imported nuts, which they can then re-export. Raw cashew nuts are exported to India, Vietnam and Brazil which are home to processing industries.</p> <p>The main consuming countries are India, the United States, the European Union, China, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.</p> <p>The kernel of the cashew nut is used in cooking and in cosmetics, while the resin contained in its shell is suitable for various industrial uses. The shell of the raw nut thus contains a liquid used as a fluid for aircraft braking systems.</p> <p>Cashew apple is used to produce wine, liquor, syrup, jam and juice.</p>