The agriculture sector is a priority for the Republic of The Gambia, the country is extremely vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Cashew sector is gaining momentum with an upward trend in exports. Cashew nuts provide multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits to the country as well as being an important crop in ecosystem restoration as it promotes forest restoration to reduce desertification.
The quantity and quality of harvested cashew can be affected negatively during harvesting, drying, storage, and packaging. However, the Gambian mature cashew nuts drying process plays the most important aspect in producing high-quality raw cashew nuts. Large volumes (40%) of harvested raw cashew nuts are lost and minimizing the losses would immediately increase the volume and net income.
UNTB in collaboration with Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Republic of The Gambia (MoHERST) will implement this project with a partnership of T?B?TAK MAM Food Research Group. In line with The Gambia＊s National Development Plan and the UN＊s Sustainable Development Framework for The Gambia, the project aims to increase the national capacity for cashew nut value chain actors to assess and address post-harvest losses of cashew-nuts in the Republic of The Gambia.
The expected strategic outcomes of the project include:
- To identify the most appropriate technology for increasing quantity of cashew nuts.
- To enhance producers/farmers＊ knowledge to supply increased quantity of cashew nuts.
- To introduce the appropriate post-harvest technology for cashew nuts and expand the use of this technology across the country.
- To increase awareness of local cashew nut producers/farmers on post-harvest technology with a special focus on women.
