<p>Agricultural inputs application in cashew nut farms requires professionalism for the country to record high yields and meet the country’s 700,000 tonnes target, says an experienced banker.</p> <p>Also, he recommended digitalisation of warehouses, the provision of unique identification numbers to cashew farmers and adequate reformation of the Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Amcos).</p> <p>Mr Altemius Millinga, who is the Yetu Microfinance Bank managing director, made the observation in an interview with The Citizen to share the banks’ three-year experience of working in the cashews industry in the Mtwara and Lindi regions.</p> <p>Mr Millinga said that from 2018/19 to 2020/21, the bank has been providing farm input loans to farmers in seven districts in the two regions.</p> <p>He named the districts as Masasi, Nanyumbu and Tandahimba, as well as Kilwa, Lindi, Liwale and Ruangwa in Mtwara and Lindi regions respectively.</p> <p>“In the last three years, agricultural inputs worth Sh3.683 billion were credited to 4,977 borrowers from 198 Amcos. Farm inputs worth an average of Sh740,000 has been provided,” he said.</p>