VET-Toolbox, Julius Berger to train 1,000 cashew farmers

Mrs Kikelomo Chibeze, the Project Manager, VET-Toolbox has said that the organisation alongside with Julius Berger Plc would orgnise pilot training programmes for 1,000 cashew farmers in the country.
Chibeze said this at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, adding that the beneficiaries would be trained with the sole aim of the growth of the sector.
She said that the training would also include factory workers to tackle some of the challenges bedeviling local processing industry of the Raw Cashew Nut (RCN).
The project manager listed some of the challenges facing the sector to include low RCN quality, weak market and supply chain linkages and an unfavourable policy environment.
Chibeze said they would receive skill training programmes tailored towards building their capacity needs and business development opportunities in the sector.
She said cashew experts had estimated that Nigeria stands to gain up to 75 million U.S dollars annually in additional revenues from promoting local RCN processing.
She said, “In addition, a cashew processor with a utilised capacity of 12,000 MT has the potential to create almost 800 direct jobs.
”Eighty per cent of the jobs should be for women, with an income potential of more than 6.3 million U.S dollars in the first seven years of operation.”
She said that with direct farmer linkage programs, almost 16,000 farmers could benefit from an incremental income of more than 1.4 million U.S. dollars within the period. (NAN)