Nigeria: Engineering group switch to agriculture to produce cashew

By Omotayo Edubi

Leading engineering and construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has expanded its investment into the agricultural processing sector.

According to a statement made available by the Media Relations Officer of JBN, Moses Duku, the company is set to start its first ever cashew processing plant in Epe, Lagos State.

The plant would be answerable to the environment as it is committed to implementing a no-waste operational practice.

Oyindamola Asaaju, The cashew project’s commodity and marketing Manager disclosed this during the Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) conference, held at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja, recently.

“Clear national occupational standard and demand-driven international product quality would define and drive the company’s operations and productivity in the cashew processing industry in Nigeria, where only 5% of Nigeria’s production is currently locally processed,” Asaaju said.

The initiative between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Delegation der Deutschen Wirtschaft in Nigeria (Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria), the conference attracted both local and international corporate and research organisations in the cashew production and processing value chain.

Present at the event was the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other directors and heads of departments.

According to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigeria has an untapped potential of $3.4 million USD from exports of cashew kernels.

The top five markets with the highest potential for exports are EU, Japan, Canada, and UAE.