The government has been urged to revive the cashew nut industry at the Coast.
Mark Mbui, a former manager at Kenya Cashew Nut Limited, said cashew nut farming was once a household name and was equally treasured as it was the backbone of Kilifi County's economy and the entire Coast region.
He said the once treasured cashew nut trees have now been cut down for fuel use with others left to grow into bushes after the collapse of the Kenya Cashew nut factory 25 years ago.
Mbui said the company came to being in 1975 and by the early 80’s the factory was processing about 60-70 tonnes per day and had employed a labour force of 3,000 workers.
He said during the peak season, the industry was the country's major export earner and also a source of employment to the residents.
“However, with the collapse of the factory, many farmers have lost interest in the once treasured coastal ‘gold’ and have since paid attention to other crops such as maize, cassava, fruits and coconuts,” said Mbui.
Mbui’s sentiments of reviving the industry were echoed by a former employee of the company Mrs Kadzo Nzaro, a mother of nine, who said that since the collapse of the factory in the early 1990s, life has never been easy.
She attributes the increased level of poverty in the area to the collapse of the industry, as many people lost their source of income.
“When the factory was in operation, we could cater for our family’s different needs. The situation changed as many parents cannot take their children to school and as a result, many young people have indulged in drug abuse,” said Nzaro.
Former mayor in the then defunct town council of Kilifi Mrs Esther Kache said the revival of the industry has always been a struggle.
She however said the struggle to revive the industry is still on, adding that she believes with the devolved government, the issue will be critically addressed.
Kilifi County Agriculture CeC Mr Mwalimu Menza acknowledged the need to revitalize the industry.
He said it is so unfortunate for the previous governments to have neglected such a vital industry which served not only in the region’s economy but the country at large.
Mwalimu says that the county under its agriculture docket has strategies underway to ensure that the industry’s lost glory has been restored.
“We want to start with awareness creation on the importance of the crop to the farmers. Then after the residents have fully embraced it, we will be engaging different stakeholders to assist in reviving the industry,” said Menza.