Algerian cashew processor Sarl Anacard’Or is planning to establish three modern cashew processing plants in Tanzania, in a move that could create jobs, boost government revenues and help the country earn more from its cashew exports.
The company’s owner and chief executive officer, Mr Walid Dib, announced the investment plans during a meeting with Tanzania’s Ambassador to Algeria, Mr Mobhare Matinyi, who visited the company’s processing plant in Oran.
Mr Dib said Tanzania’s cashews had impressed the company because of their quality, prompting it to expand its operations to the source of the raw material.
“We have been impressed by the exceptional quality of Tanzanian cashews and have decided to build three processing plants, starting with one in Masasi, Mtwara Region,” he said.
The first factory will use modern processing equipment sourced from Vietnam. Mr Dib said the company was also finalising the registration of Kilimanjaro Nuts Limited in partnership with a Tanzanian investor.
The planned investment comes as Tanzania seeks to increase domestic processing of agricultural commodities and reduce reliance on exports of raw products.
Ambassador Matinyi welcomed the investment, saying the government would provide the necessary support to ensure the project succeeds.
He said expanding cashew processing within Tanzania would allow the country to capture a larger share of the value generated from the crop while creating employment and attracting capital and technical expertise.
“It is the government’s intention to increase investment in cashew processing so that more value is added to the crop before it is exported, while reducing exports of unprocessed cashews,” he said.
Mr Dib said preparations for the first plant were already under way, including the construction of warehouses for cashew storage in Masasi.
He said the company planned to order machinery from Vietnam in September, with the equipment expected to arrive in Tanzania alongside Vietnamese technicians who will train local workers from January 2027.
The company is also increasing its purchases of Tanzanian cashews for its Algerian processing operations.
Mr Dib said the company had received six containers of Tanzanian cashews in the previous month, with another six containers at the Port of Oran, seven more in transit by sea and an additional seven at the Port of Dar es Salaam awaiting shipment.Each container carries about 27 tonnes of cashews, he said.
During the visit, Mr Dib showed Ambassador Matinyi Tanzanian cashews undergoing processing at the Oran factory, where the nuts pass through 11 stages before being packaged for the international market.
He said the company had now decided to make Tanzania its sole source of raw cashews, citing the quality of the crop.
The planned factories could strengthen Tanzania’s position in the global cashew value chain by moving more processing activities closer to farmers and reducing the need to export raw nuts.
Ambassador Matinyi said government efforts, through the Tanzania Cashew Board (CBT), had contributed to increased production, with the country producing 617,683 tonnes of cashews during the 2025/26 season.
The crop generated about TZS 1.25 trillion, he said, placing Tanzania among the world’s leading cashew producers after Côte d’Ivoire, Vietnam and India.
For Tanzania, the proposed investment presents an opportunity to turn strong production into greater domestic economic value, particularly through industrial processing, employment creation, skills development and increased export earnings.
