A VIRAL post published by @ChinasaNworu on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, claims that Burkina Faso has banned the export of raw cashew nuts “until further notice” in a bid to strengthen its domestic processing industry.
The post states that the West African country has joined Benin in restricting raw cashew exports to retain more economic value and jobs internally.
Given the growing importance of cashew nut exports in West Africa’s agricultural economy and the implications such a policy could have on regional trade, employment, and global supply chains,
The Explainer verified the claim by first identifying the origin of the information, which appears to be tied to a policy announcement from the Burkinabe government.
The Explainer traced the claim to a specific directive from Burkina Faso’s transitional government under President Ibrahim Traoré. To validate it, The Explainer sought corroborating evidence from official government sources, local news organisations, and trade policy updates.
The Explainer found that the Ministry of Industrial Development, Trade, Handicrafts and Small and Medium Enterprises of Burkina Faso issued a directive dated 17 April 2025, which temporarily suspends the export of raw cashew nuts. The government justified the measure as a strategy to prioritise domestic processing industries, ensure steady supply for local factories, and stimulate industrialisation through value retention.
Further confirmation was obtained from Food Business Africa, which reported that the Burkinabe Cashew Council announced on April 2, 2025, that the ban took effect on March 28, 2025. The report highlighted the government’s intention to direct more cashew output to local processors and cited the move as a protective industrial measure.
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Additionally, Capmad.com reported that the ban includes setting a minimum purchase price to support local farmers and processors, further indicating a broader policy framework aimed at improving the cashew value chain internally.
The Explainer subjected the claim to further scrutiny by examining regional policies on raw cashew nut exports. Benin, as mentioned in the viral post, implemented a ban on raw cashew nut exports effective from April 1, 2024, aiming to promote local processing and add value to its economy. This move by Benin underscores a strategic shift towards enhancing the country’s agricultural sector and creating more employment opportunities within its borders. By prioritizing local processing of cashews, Benin aims to capture more value from its cashew industry and reduce dependency on raw exports. This decision aligns with broader efforts to strengthen food security, improve quality standards, and increase export revenues from processed goods.
Furthermore, Côte d’Ivoire, another major cashew producer in West Africa, temporarily suspended the purchase and export of raw cashew nuts in May 2024.
The Ministry of Agriculture issued a directive emphasizing that only approved processors and buyers could purchase raw cashew nuts for supplying processing units, with export activities for raw cashew nuts put on hold. This decision aimed to ensure a steady supply of raw materials to local processing units and aligns with the national policy for agro-industry development and promotion.
Further investigation by The Explainer revealed that the policy was adopted following a strategic review by Burkina Faso’s Cashew Interprofessional Committee (CIAB), which highlighted the persistent underutilisation of domestic processing capacity. In 2024, Burkina Faso produced approximately 161,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts, yet only about 16,000 tonnes roughly 10% were processed locally. This falls far below the country’s estimated installed capacity of 30,000 tonnes.
The majority of raw cashews were exported, primarily to processing hubs in India and Vietnam, where they were refined and re-exported at significantly higher value. This data, originally reported by Food Business Africa and based on figures from advisory firm N’kalô, underscores the economic rationale behind the ban aimed at boosting in-country value addition.
The Explainer found that this policy aligns with broader trends across West Africa, where major cashew-producing countries such as Benin and Côte d’Ivoire have also introduced export bans or levies on raw nuts to drive local industrial growth. In Benin, for instance, the government banned raw cashew nut exports effective April 1, 2024, as part of its strategy to enhance local processing industries and increase value addition within the sector.
This policy aims to increase farmer incomes, create jobs, and improve logistics, transforming Benin into a key player in the global cashew market.
Moreover, Burkina Faso’s policy is consistent with the objectives of the African Union’s African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which encourages value addition and industrialisation across the continent.
The AfCFTA aims to promote industrialization through the creation of regional value chains (RVCs), enabling firms to trade increasingly value-added goods and services more freely across the continent and thus, drive industrialisation.
VERDICT: TRUE.
Based on the available data, official government communication, industry reports, The Explainer confirms that the claim is accurate. Burkina Faso has indeed banned the export of raw cashew nuts until further notice as part of an industrial policy to boost local processing and retain economic value.
