OVER 150,000 tonnes of raw cashewnuts have been exported through the Mtwara Port from October last year, it has been learnt. The cashewnuts were collected from the regions of Mtwara, Lindi and Ruvuma during the 2023/24 harvest season, said the Port’s Manager, Mr Fernand Nyathi on behalf of the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) Director General, Plasduce Mbossa. Mr Nyathi said that by the end of this January, 2024, the port is expected to handle over 200,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts. “One of the biggest achievements that we (Port Management) have achieved is handling over 150,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts via Mtwara Port since the start of 2023/2024 cashew nuts harvesting season,” he said. The move according to Mr Nyathi comes after President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan issued directives in September last year to Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) to ensure that all the raw cashews produced in the Southern Zone regions are transported via Mtwara Port starting 2023/2024 season. Dr Samia made the directive on September 15, 2023 when she made a visit to inspect the development of the Mtwara Port Improvement Project. Mr Nyathi said after the President’s directives, the port management in collaboration with stakeholders managed to woo several ships that brought containers to handle the cashews for transporting them abroad. “President Samia issued directives, requiring us (TPA) to ensure that all the raw cashew nuts produced in the southern zone regions are transported abroad through the Mtwara Port-the directives were implemented, where several containerised cargo ships docked at the port to handle the produce,” he said. According to the manager the port has handled 18 ships, among them 15 that transported the crop produce abroad, while the three brought empty containers for loading the crop produce. He said that three more vessels are docked at the port to handle more cashews to be transported abroad, adding that the ships are expected to transport over 2000 containers anytime. Likewise, Mr Nyathi said the massive investment made by the government to renovate and construct a new berth has increased the port’s capacity to one million tonnes of the cargo from the previous 400,000 tonnes.