UNIDO Boosts Cashew nut Processing in Mtwara region

Cashewnut farmers in Mtwara region have started benefiting from their produce thanks to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) which has facilitated construction of cashew nut processing plants.

UNIDO national programme officer Victor Akimu revealed this recently after visiting processing factories in Mtwara Rural and Tandahimba districts.

He noted that UNIDO had decided to introduce processing factories to help farmers add value to their crop by producing juice and wine after realising that the farmers used to leave cashew nut fruits to rot without knowing what to do with them.

“We have decided to help the farmers add value to cashew nuts and increase their incomes by processing the cashew fruits,” he said.

Food processing expert from Naliendele Research Centre Zacharia Mbunda said for a long time the farmers were not aware that cashew nut fruits produced juice and wine and so they left them to rot in farms.

Mbunda commended UNIDO’s decision to start processing cashew fruits with a view to getting wine and juice products, saying it would help boost their living standards.

The farmers who spoke to this reporter hailed UNIDO for introducing the technology, saying it would help them add value to cashew nuts and their development.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN,December 07, 2011