BISSAU, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Guinea-Bissau on Wednesday officially launched its 2026 cashew marketing and export campaign, as the government moved to further regulate the sector that forms the backbone of the national economy.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Communities Joao Bernardo Vieira said that the government aimed to ensure a more structured, balanced, and fairer cashew campaign for all actors along the value chain, from producers to exporters.
Describing cashew as a "true national wealth," he underlined the sector as a main source of income for many families, contributing significantly to the country's economic and social stability.
Latest data, released at the ceremony, indicated that the West African country's cashew exports during the 2025 campaign exceeded 250,000 tonnes, with India and Vietnam as major destinations.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, Guinea-Bissau is currently the world's seventh-largest producer of raw cashew nuts.
On Tuesday, the Guinea-Bissau government set the reference producer price for raw cashew nuts at 410 CFA francs (about 0.72 U.S. dollars) per kg for the 2026 marketing season, while fixing the purchase price for intermediaries at 478 CFA francs per kg and pledging a crackdown on smuggling. ■