ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (Reuters) — Cashew nut production in Ivory Coast rose 14 percent last year to 560,000 tonnes.
The increase is in line with the country’s aim to become the world’s top producer.
Ivory Coast is the world’s top cocoa grower, but a decade ago it was just a middling cashew producer, growing 80,000 tonnes of raw nuts per year.
However, production has increased by more than 10 percent a year, and the sector has attracted the attention of a government desperate to jump-start its economy after a decade of war and political chaos.
“That places Ivory Coast in second place after India,” said government spokesperson Bruno Kone.
