Tanzania’s Cashew Export Story: From East African Farms to Global Markets 🇹🇿

Across the warm coastal landscapes of East Africa, a small curved nut has become one of Tanzania's most important agricultural export products.

The cashew.

Known locally and internationally as one of Africa's valuable agricultural commodities, Tanzanian cashews connect farmers and processors with buyers across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and other international markets.

In 2024 alone, Tanzania exported approximately 433,100 tonnes of cashew nuts, valued at about US$564.6 million. Vietnam and India were the two largest destinations.

But behind those numbers is a much bigger story.

A story of farmers, coastal agriculture, international trade and an industry with significant potential for value addition.

Tanzania and the Cashew

Cashew production has become deeply connected with Tanzania's agricultural economy, particularly in the southern and southeastern parts of the country.

The crop grows well in Tanzania's warm climate, and thousands of farming households participate in its production.

For many farmers, cashew is more than an agricultural product.

It is a source of income.

It supports rural communities.

And it connects local farms with international markets.

Is Cashew a Dry Fruit?

Technically, cashew is a tree nut, rather than a dried fruit in the same sense as raisins, dried mangoes or dates.

However, in commercial food and export markets, cashews are commonly grouped with nuts and dried-food products.

And Tanzania's export story is overwhelmingly a cashew story.

Compared with other dried-fruit categories, cashews represent a dramatically larger export business. In 2024, Tanzania's exports of other dried fruits were recorded at only around 5.7 tonnes, worth approximately US$57,400, while cashew exports reached hundreds of thousands of tonnes.

That difference tells us something important:

If you are looking for Tanzania's major internationally traded dry-food product, start with cashews.

Raw Cashews vs Cashew Kernels

There are two very different stages in the cashew business.

Raw Cashew Nuts

These are the cashew nuts collected after harvesting and prepared for further processing.

They contain the outer shell and must undergo careful processing before the edible kernel can be consumed.

Cashew Kernels

The kernel is the edible part that consumers recognise as the cashew nut.

After processing, kernels can be graded according to size, appearance and quality before being packaged for international markets.

This distinction is extremely important in international trade because exporting raw cashews and exporting processed kernels can create very different opportunities for countries, processors and businesses.

Where Do Tanzanian Cashews Go?

Tanzania's cashew export network is strongly connected to international processing and trading centres.

In 2024, Vietnam imported approximately 226,567 tonnes of Tanzanian cashews, while India imported approximately 199,830 tonnes. Together, these two markets accounted for the vast majority of Tanzania's reported cashew exports.

Other destinations included the Netherlands, China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Kenya, Egypt and several European and Middle Eastern markets.

This demonstrates how Tanzanian agriculture is connected to a truly global supply chain.

A cashew harvested in Tanzania can eventually become part of a packaged food product sold thousands of kilometres away.

From Farm to Port

Exporting agricultural commodities involves much more than harvesting and selling.

For Tanzania's cashew sector, export procedures are regulated, and the country's official Trade Portal states that export cashews must be obtained through auctions regulated by the Cashew Board of Tanzania.

The country's export process also involves inspection, documentation, phytosanitary requirements and port procedures, with Dar es Salaam playing a key role in export logistics.

This infrastructure is essential because international buyers need consistency, documentation and quality assurance.

Why Value Addition Matters

There is an important question facing agricultural exporters across Africa:

Should a country export the raw agricultural commodity, or process more of it locally?

Cashew provides a powerful example.

Raw cashews can be processed into kernels, roasted nuts, flavoured snacks, cashew butter and other food products.

Processing closer to the source can potentially create additional employment, develop technical skills, increase local business opportunities and capture more value within the producing country.

For Tanzania, expanding domestic processing could therefore be an important part of the industry's future.

Tanzania's Other Dried-Fruit Opportunities

Cashew may dominate Tanzania's nut-export story, but it is not the country's only agricultural product capable of reaching international consumers.

Trade data records Tanzania exporting products classified as dried fruits, including dried or fresh guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, as well as dried banana products. However, these export volumes remain much smaller than cashews.

This suggests an interesting opportunity.

With the right investment in processing, packaging, food safety, branding and international distribution, Tanzania could potentially develop a broader portfolio of value-added fruit products alongside its established cashew industry.

A Global Market for African Agriculture

The story of Tanzanian cashews is ultimately bigger than one nut.

It represents the growing connection between African agricultural producers and international food markets.

Consumers around the world increasingly want to know:

Where did this product come from?

Who produced it?

How was it processed?

Can the supply chain create value for the communities that produce it?

These questions are becoming increasingly important in global food trade.

Tanzania has the agricultural resources, climate and established export experience to participate in this conversation.

The Future of Tanzanian Cashews

Tanzania's cashew sector has already established itself as a major export industry.

The next opportunity may be moving further up the value chain.

Instead of simply asking how many tonnes Tanzania can export, the bigger question could become:

How much value can Tanzania create from every tonne produced?

Better processing.

Stronger packaging.

International branding.

Quality improvement.

Traceability.

And access to new consumer markets.

These are the areas that could shape the next chapter of Tanzania's cashew story.

From African Soil to Global Tables

Every bag of cashews begins somewhere.

For Tanzanian cashews, that beginning is on farms across East Africa, where agricultural knowledge, climate and hard work come together.

From there, the journey can continue through processing facilities, ports, international traders and food manufacturers before finally reaching consumers around the world.

It is a remarkable journey.

And it is another example of how Africa is not simply a source of agricultural commodities. It is a continent with the potential to build globally recognised food industries and brands.

Tanzania's cashews are already reaching the world. The next chapter may be about how much more value can be created along the way.

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