The Tanzania Cashew Board has warned some buyers of cashew crops who buy after the season is closed and want to smuggle them into the country illegally.
So far, two companies have been taken into action and fined more than Sh45 million for violating the procurement and transportation procedures of the product.
Speaking at the assessment session of Cashew production for the season of 2023/2024, which was held on April 7, 2024, the Director General of the Tnaznaia Cashew Board Francis Alfred said that there are buyers who buy cashews after the season is closed and want to export them abroad against procedure.
He said that the cashews that are allowed to go abroad are those bought during auctions and processed from local factories, and all those bought after the auctions are closed are only for Processing by local factories.
“We do not give permits to anyone or factories, the remaining cashews will be processed here in the country, I warn all those who buy illegally, we will take strict legal action against them, even the other day we arrested a car with 38 tons, they bought illegally and did not have permits”.
“We have fined them more than Sh25 million, there is also a company that wanted to smuggle cashews to Dar es Salaam without permits, and we penalty them Sh20 million” said Alfred
