Cashew dealers in Kogi State have called on the government to intervene and stop foreign buyers from disrupting the cashew value chain, warning that their activities are worsening poverty and threatening local livelihoods.
According to a statement by the Board of Trustees Chairman of the Kogi Cashew Dealers Stakeholders Association, Baba Mohammed, foreign buyers, particularly Indians, bypass local merchants and buy directly from farmers.
Mohammed said that this practice is distorting the cashew trade, reducing farmers’ earnings, and increasing insecurity in the state.
“The appeal we want to make is clear. We are asking the state government to intervene and stop foreigners from distorting, corrupting, and interfering with the cashew value chain,” he stated.
The KCDSA chairman stressed that foreigners should follow the proper value chain instead of sidelining local merchants.
“The reason this is important is that these foreigners’ actions will reduce local farmers to extreme poverty. Their goal seems to be simply to come here and export a product that’s already ready for export,” he added.
Mohammed noted that this issue has persisted for over 30 years and was a key topic of discussion at an earlier industry meeting in Lagos. He warned that unchecked foreign interference could lead to “a new form of colonisation.”
Citing the example of Ogbomoso in Oyo State, Nigeria’s second-largest cashew-producing region after Kogi, he questioned why such interference is tolerated in Kogi but not elsewhere. “They seem to think Kogi is a place where they can do anything they want. That’s why we’re appealing to the Kogi government, the Federal Government and the Ministry of Agriculture to take action and stop this exploitation,” he said.
The Vice Chairman of the Kogi Cashew Dealers Association, Idris Yakub, echoed these concerns, stating that foreigners are taking over the roles of local buyers, forcing down prices, and short-changing farmers.
“Our farmers, who are not exposed to these market dynamics, are often misled. Many of them have never seen foreigners before, and when they do, they think they’ll get better prices. Unfortunately, they are being exploited,” Yakub asserted.
He pointed out that there is a federal policy prohibiting foreigners from buying directly from farmers, yet the law is being ignored, noting, “This policy was put in place under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, and it should be enforced.”
Yakub warned that the unchecked activities of foreign buyers are not just harming farmers but also contributing to insecurity in the state.
The KCDSA Chairman, Mohammed, revealed that the Kogi State House of Assembly has fast-tracked a motion on the issue, directing the Ministry of Agriculture to intervene.
He expressed hope that the government would act swiftly to protect local farmers and ensure that the cashew industry benefits the state’s economy.
“We are not against foreign investment in the cashew industry,” he clarified. “But they must follow the proper value chain and not bypass local merchants. They should add value to the local economy, not just export raw materials.”
The association called on both state and federal governments to enforce regulations and prevent what they described as “a takeover” of the cashew trade by foreign interests.
