EARNINGS from cashew nut sales in the four southern regions of Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma and Coast in the just ended season have clocked over a trillion shillings.

Acting director of the Cashew nut Board of Tanzania (CBT), Hassan Jarufu said at the weekend that several cashew nut auctions within FY 2017/2018 had clocked a record 1.08trl/-. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has underlined that the people within Lindi region, in particular, were a representative sample of all other regions, especially on the cashew nut plant, saying they stood ‘to mint’ real money from it.

Speaking at a ceremony to herald New Year, Mr Majaliwa urged the area residents to tap the opportunities that still await further exploitation. The PM gave ten million seedlings to Ruangwa residents within Lindi region, over the theme:”Cashew nut is the green gold, let’s preserve and conserve it.”

The PM urged youth to work on the opportunities that the crop holds, stressing that they all “stand to benefit from new business opportunities.” “The world’s demand for cashew nut is gigantic … it’s consumed in hotels, airplanes and the price remains very high,” he said.

Mr Majaliwa believes that every youth who dares can exploit the potential to great advantage, arguing each one of them “can do it” further ‘coaching’ the youth that an acre needs just 37 to 40 seedlings – and challenged them to “grab these opportunities.”

Mr Majaliwa who was on his ‘year-end’ vacation in his native Lindi Region took time to offer a lesson in cashew economy, telling the youth the crop was good at conserving the environment. Mr Majaliwa who also doubles as Ruangwa MP said he had started to distribute free seedlings to his constituents, and that other districts would soon follow.