Identifying Opportunities for Cashew Apple Juice in Ghana

Every year, thousands of tonnes of cashew apples are left to rot once the nuts are taken. Would people in Ghana drink juice made from them? ComCashew, a GIZ programme, asked us to find out whether the idea could work as a product, and what need it would meet in the market.

A ripe red cashew apple with its nut still attached, hanging from a branch

What we did

We started in the shops. We visited different kinds of store in Accra, from an open-air market stall to Shoprite, and talked to store managers and shoppers about what sells, to whom and at what price.

We then ran tasting panels with mothers, young adults, workers and professionals. They tasted a range of juices blind, without being told that one of them was cashew apple. Some came from Brazil and Ghana, and some were blends made by ComCashew.

What we found

The market is open.

Ghanaians drink juice every day and at functions. Real fruit juice is often kept for guests, while cheaper juices and cordials sell for thirst and for health.

There is room for a healthier juice drink.

Cashew apple borrows some of the health image of the cashew nut. Panellists were keen to see new cashew juices. A ComCashew blend of pineapple, ginger and cashew was among the two most liked, alongside a Brazilian juice.

Price is the hurdle.

Sodas are the usual alternative, so the juice has to be affordable beside them. Sweetness divided the panels: some found the Brazilian juices too sweet, others too bitter.

From idea to pilot

A good idea still has to be made. So we ran pilots on the two hardest steps: gathering cashew apples from the farms, and pressing them before they ferment. Both were tricky, and a roundtable showed interest but also how hard it is to make the juice in Ghana. The pilots showed that it can be done, with the right processors.

A ripe red cashew apple with its nut, hanging among large green leaves

What we learnt

Blends are needed. Cashew apple has a very specific flavour. On its own it divides people, and blended with other fruit and spices it becomes a juice they like.
It is a logistics challenge as much as a market one. Getting fresh, perishable fruit to the press in time is where the work lies.
The cashew season is short. Juice manufacturing needs long production seasons to make commercial sense, so the business has to develop alternatives for the rest of the year.
The right processor makes the difference. The technique works. It needs a partner who can run it.

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