DistantNews
Support us
🇶🇦 Qatar /Economy & Trade

Ghana’s cashew apples get a second life

From Al Jazeera · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Ghana's cashew farmers often discard the fleshy cashew apples after harvesting the nuts, leading to significant waste.
  • Researchers are developing products like juice and sausages from these apples, tackling challenges like high tannin content and short shelf life.
  • A new preservation technology allows cashew apples to be stored for up to six days, potentially creating new income streams for rural communities.

In Ghana's cashew-growing regions, the valuable cashew apple is frequently left to rot on the ground after farmers collect the nuts. Despite Ghana being a major cashew producer, harvesting hundreds of thousands of tonnes of nuts annually, the fruit itself is largely ignored due to a lack of processing facilities and buyers. This results in a substantial loss of potential income and resources.

MA-CASH basically means Maximising Gains from Cashew Production for Youth Development. The project started by looking at the level of waste in growing areas and the processing options available.

— Francisca Aba AnsahExplaining the goals of the MA-CASH research initiative.

However, a research initiative called MA-CASH is working to transform this waste into value. Food post-harvest scientist Francisca Aba Ansah explained that the project focuses on maximizing gains from cashew production, particularly for youth development. Researchers have developed various products from the apples, including juices, juice blends, and sausages.

Cashew apples have high tannin content, so we did a lot of research to reduce the tannin and minimise the anti-nutrient effects when people consume the products.

— Francisca Aba AnsahDescribing the challenges in making cashew apple products palatable.

A major hurdle has been the cashew apple's high tannin content, which affects taste. "Cashew apples have high tannin content, so we did a lot of research to reduce the tannin and minimise the anti-nutrient effects when people consume the products," Ansah stated. Another significant challenge is the fruit's extremely short shelf life, spoiling within 24 hours of harvest.

When you harvest cashew apples, within 24 hours it goes bad. We developed the technology that allows farmers to keep it for up to six days before it is shipped to the processing centre. When it gets there, it can be refrigerated for the whole year for production.

— Francisca Aba AnsahDetailing the new preservation technology for cashew apples.

To overcome this, MA-CASH has developed a preservation technology enabling farmers to store the apples for up to six days before transport to processing centers. These apples can then be refrigerated for year-round production. This innovation could finally make commercial collection and processing feasible in many farming communities. The project also explores off-season income, such as beekeeping under cashew trees, yielding high-quality honey.

During the off-season, when you will not be working there, you can actually do beekeeping. The honey that comes from cashew has good quality, so farmers can still have their business running.

— Francisca Aba AnsahHighlighting additional income opportunities like beekeeping.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Al Jazeera. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog