The Groupement des transformateurs de cajou ivoiriens (GTCI), a coalition of national cashew nut processors handling 100,000 metric tons of raw nuts annually, has welcomed a groundbreaking financing agreement signed on June 11, 2026, between the Banque nationale d’investissement (BNI), the Conseil du Coton et de l’Anacarde (CCA), and local processors.
These Ivorian operators have taken bold steps toward local processing by investing their own capital in building and expanding processing plants, driving industrialization in the sector, boosting value addition, and strengthening the national economy.
In a letter dated July 17, 2026, addressed to the Presidency, the Vice Presidency, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé, the Vice Prime Minister, the Minister of Industry, the BNI, and the CCA, the GTCI—through its president Denis Kouadio—expressed deep appreciation to authorities and institutions for establishing this innovative financing mechanism. The system is designed to support raw nut procurement and cover processing costs incurred by national processors.
The group highlighted how this initiative directly addresses critical challenges faced by local operators, including securing raw nut supplies, optimizing processing efficiency, and accessing substantial financing lines. These needs are particularly urgent during the short commercialization window, when processors must purchase the bulk of their annual nut requirements to keep operations running smoothly throughout the year.
For the GTCI, this tripartite agreement marks a transformative milestone for the industry. It aims to reinforce local processing, stabilize raw material supply for factories, and improve access to financing for processors.
Under the terms of the agreement, the CCA will secure 20% of each processor’s raw nut needs at the start of the season, while the BNI will finance the remaining 80%, along with the working capital required for industrial operations and exports.
The GTCI president also recognized the pivotal role played by key stakeholders in bringing this initiative to fruition, including Vice Prime Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara, Minister of Trade and Industry Khalil Konaté, Minister of Economy and Finance Adama Coulibaly, CCA Director General Mamadou Berté, BNI CEO Youssouf Fadika, and BNI Deputy CEO Jérôme Ahua. Their coordinated efforts led to the creation of this sustainable financing model, which is set to empower local investors in the long term.
The success of this pioneering program—designed to nurture and elevate national champions in local cashew processing—now sets the stage for similar opportunities. Discussions are underway to adapt this financing model to the cocoa processing sector, with the goal of extending comparable support to national cocoa processors.
As the world’s top producer of raw cashew nuts, with an annual output of approximately 1.5 million metric tons, Côte d’Ivoire operates 37 processing facilities boasting an installed capacity of over 830,000 metric tons. With a local processing rate of 43%, the country ranks as the second-largest exporter of cashew kernels and holds the third position among global processors, according to ITC’s 2025 consolidated data.
Having already surged ahead in raw nut production, Côte d’Ivoire is now doubling down on boosting local processing. The strategy aims to retain greater value within the country, fortify its industrial base, and generate more jobs for its workforce.