<p></p><p>The cashew nut industry is in the doldrums, if an official report by the Cashew nut Board of Tanzania is anything to go by. A reported 85,000 tons of the crop, worth billions of shillings, is lying in warehouses at a time when farmers expect overdue payments. </p> <p>This desperate situation calls for quick and measured interventions. A record 155,000 tons have been produced this season, and it will be a tragedy if farmers who have worked this hard were to be told that they should not expect any proceeds from their labour. For many years, the cashew nut was one of Tanzania’s leading foreign exchange earners. The nation thrived on handsome returns on investments in this crop. Several problems beset the sector, though, and it has been struggling to make a comeback. </p><p>Many farmers who had abandoned the crop have been persuaded to tend to their bushy farms again. Hope has gradually returned to the coast and southern regions that are best suited for growing the crop. It would be a shame to lose that momentum. The authorities should ensure that no effort is spared in keeping up the spirits of farmers and protecting their interests. To do so in any meaningful way will entail looking into the fact that just two of 12 factories are in operation. The warehouse receipt system that the government introduced also does not help, with private players claiming it has stifled the cashew nut business. We are sure a win-win situation can be achieved. <br></p><p></p>