Improving Infrastructure

14 km of rural agriculture feeder roads linking more than 8 villages to markets
62% reduction in travel time and a 240% increase in traffic volume
1,000 cash for work laborers employed, 46% women
4 cashew nut warehouses (2,225 m³) rehabilitated with 3 cooperatives and 1 processor
2 new cashew nut warehouses (1,840m3) constructed in partnership with a cooperative and processor

Increasing Cashew Nut Production and Quality

4,692 farmers trained on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
4,560 farmers applied Good Agricultural Practices on 13,061.26 ha of cashew plantations
Cashew farmer census conducted for 4,109 farmers, including 1,056 women
5 tree nursery managers trained and supported with 2 modern shade structures
6,546 cashew trees planted, including 2,519 grafted cashew seedlings

5 cooperatives active and engaged through project support
274 cooperative members received capacity-building training and coaching on computer skills, administration, and improved financial management
806 active and 3,295 passive cooperative members
6,394 MT collected by cooperatives members (passive and active) between 2020 to 2023

Facilitated the sale of 3,827 MT ($6.485 million) of RCN by 5 cooperatives
589 individuals received financial services through prefinancing for RCN purchase
$1,635,648 in financial transactions and prefinancing loans to cooperatives and members
2 processors received $100,000 investment through Cashew Fund loans and 75.6 MT of RCN purchased from cooperatives in 2022
Through the fund an SFL financial partner has signed a $147,000 contract with a processor.
$395,000 planned for additional cashew fund loans to processors in 2023
3 processors trained on HACCP food safety requirements and exporting cashew kernel internationally
340 cooperative leaders received training on business plan development, bookkeeping, savings, and entrepreneurship
10 commercial contracts signed linking buyers and cooperatives in 2022

Establishment of a Gambia cashew sector Steering Committee to influence policy
Policy development of a warehouse receipt law
Planned support for the cooperative movement through the review and amendment of the Cooperative Act
Diagnostic study on Cross-border trade of RCN and the establishment of Single Cashew Market in SeGaBi underway

Development of Cashew Market Information System & Indicator Management System
2,000 cashew plantations being mapped and georeferenced to facilitate organic certification for farmers
8,752 people accessing cashew market data through social networks and the project website

Funding for the LIFFT-Cashew project provided by the Food for Progress Program of the United States Department of Agriculture