Latest News
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Latest News

Coop act

LIFFT-Cashew Project Policy Component Achieves Another Milestone

March 21, 2025
On March 13, 2025, the LIFFT-Cashew Project, implemented by Shelter for Life International, successfully handed over the draft National Cooperative Regulation 2024 and the Cooperative Toolkit to Mr. Alhagie Nyangado, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture of The Gambia. The handover ceremony was attended by Mr. Aba Sankareh,...
FACVAS1

Birth of the Federation of Cashew Nut Value Chain Actors of Senegal (FACVAS)

March 12, 2025
A major step forward for the cashew nut sector in Senegal Thursday, March 6, 2025 will be a milestone date for the cashew nut sector in Senegal with the official creation of the Federation of Actors of the Cashew Value Chain of Senegal (FACVAS). Resulting from the merger of two...
LIFFT-CASHEW -ORSRE

Promotion of Warehouse Receipt System for 2025 Marketing Year

February 28, 2025
LIFFT-CASHEW - ORSRE A two-day workshop was held at the Nema Kadior hotel in Ziguinchor (February 24-25), co-organized by the Lifft-Cashew Project implemented by Shelter for Life in collaboration with the regulatory body of the ORSRE warehouse receipt system. The workshop aimed to establish and improve relationships between stakeholders and...
Cashew processors

Lifft Cashew: Transforming the Cashew Industry in West Africa

January 21, 2025
The cashew nut processing industry is an important driver of economic development in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.  The Lifft Cashew project plays a key role in developing this sector, focusing on innovation, building local capacity and access to international markets. Senegal: A transformation in full swing In regions such as...
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LIFFT-Cashew
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LIFFT-Cashew

This is a 6-year program (2017-2023) funded by USDA and implemented by Shelter for Life International to enhance the production and trade of cashews in local and international markets.

The LIFFT-Cashew project works around four objectives which are:

01

Increase RCN quality

Production: High yields and high quality of RCN in trees

01

Production of  organic RCN

Organic certification: Production of organic RCN

03

Post-harvest Farming

Maintain high quality of RCN after harvesting

04

Post-production handling

Improve post-production handling, and strengthen farm management.

Cashew
Cashew
Our Components
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Our Components

LIFFT CASHEW PROJECT

On-Farm Practices

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Training on good agricultural practices was provided to 20,946 cashew producers through pre-selected cooperative members as trainers/facilitators, who attended thematic train-the-trainer modules on pruning, thinning, nut separation, drying, storage, organic standards, and new plantation establishment techniques. A total of 721 trainers were trained. 32 nurseries were established by the support of the project in three countries and in total 98.000 seedlings were produced and sold to cashew producers. In total 46.815 hectares of cashew plantations were improved by application of good agricultural practices. 3.027 producers were certified for organic production.

Market Access

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24 cooperative societies were established or strengthened by providing series of training and daily coaching on business management, access to finance, sales, and market relations. Massive sensitization of cooperatives was supported, reaching at least 25,278 cashew producers. This resulted 145 commercial contracts signed between cooperatives and buyers, on supply of RCN. In total 122.397 MT of cashew nuts were sold collectively amounting $105.912.210 in value of sales.

LIFFT Cashew Truck Loading

Access to Finance

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The Project is working with financial institutions to increase access to microcredits and loans to cashew producers and processors. Two (2) financial institutions (microfinance) provided loans in amount of $917,897 and fifty-three (53) individual buyers and trading companies provided to producers and cooperatives pre-financing in amount of $64.487.593. The project Cashew fund disbursed to nine (9) processing facilities loans in amount of $740.000 for purchase of raw cashew nuts (RCN) during the season, that leveraged $4.641.041 private investment into the cashew sector. 1.777 individuals (incl. 463 women) were trained about entrepreneurship, financial management, loans.

Infrastructure

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Construction and rehabilitation of rural roads to facilitate the flow of cashew nuts. combines both heavy machinery and manual labor to create employment opportunities. To date 136,24 KM of feeder roads constructed and 4,640 jobs created. In total 15.564 m3 of storage were rehabilitated and constructed which allowed farmers to maintain quality and organize collective sales.

Road construction - Lifft-Cashew Project - Shelter For Life International
Achievements
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Our Achievements

105.9Millions Value of sales of beneficiaries who received USDA assistance
122397MT Volume of commodities sold by beneficiaries who received USDA assistance
32832Number of individuals who have benefitted directly because of USDA
46815 haNumber of hectares under improved technologies
136.24Kilometers of agricultural feeder roads and connector