Date: 2018-05-04

The National Cashew Association of Nigeria has collaborated with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps to stop foreigners' encroachment on farm gates.

While disclosing this in Ilorin, Kwara State at the 2018 National Cashew Trade Administration Meeting of the association, the National President, NCAN, Mr. Tola Faseru, emphasised the urgent need for the nation to check the excesses of foreigners at the cashew farm gates.

He noted the importance of the cashew crop as one of the National Strategic Export Products to diversify the Nigerian economy away from oil and admonished cashew stakeholders to pay adequate attention to the growth and development of the crop.

This, he said, was because of the foreign exchange that could be generated from it and the resultant employment opportunities.

Faseru said, "Nigeria is rated fourth largest producer of cashew nuts in Africa and seventh in the world. Today, the annual earnings from cashew have risen to $402,050,000 (N145bn) and we see it growing year in year out with the private sector efforts and the growing government interventions in the sector."

Speaking further, he noted that the cashew trade had become a global industry employing about 300,000 people across the country.

According to him, the encroachment of foreigners had caused distractions for local farmers and the consequence of this was low quality of products, distortions in the trade, reduced value at the international market and lower purchasing power for Nigerian farmers.

Faseru said, "The encroachment on the farm gate by the foreigners is inimical to the value chain system and cuts off our locals from participating in the trade. Expatriates position themselves in the bushes to buy directly from the farmers, thereby taking away the much-needed jobs from our people.

He announced that strong collaboration had been established between NCAN and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in order to maintain effective surveillance, check the influx of foreign nationals, control and put a stop to their activities at the cashew farm gate across the country.

The Kwara State Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Adeyinka Ayinla Fasiu, who represented the Commandant General of the corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu, frowned on the practice of foreigners bombarding the farm gates to buy cashew.

"Foreign nationals interested in doing the business of cashew should stay at the port city to receive their cargoes," he said.