Lisbon, March 11, 2026 (Lusa) - Guinea-Bissau loses around US$50 million in each cashew nut marketing campaign, said João Bernardo Vieira, minister of foreign affairs of the transitional government, on Wednesday.

He was speaking at the official opening of the 2026 cashew nut marketing campaign, at a ceremony representing Prime Minister Ilídio Vieira Té, and reported in the local media.

João Bernardo Vieira stressed that the transitional government "attaches particular importance" to the cashew nut marketing campaign that begins today, which he said is expected to require "collective responsibility, discipline and commitment".

The slogan for this campaign is: "zero tolerance for smuggling" of cashew nuts, which bring more than €200 million into the coffers of the Guinea-Bissau state.

"Guinea-Bissau loses almost 50 million US$ (€43 million) to smuggling in each cashew nut marketing campaign," said João Bernardo Vieira, who considers cashews to be the "only product" that the country exports so far.

The foreign minister of Guinea-Bissau said that the product "must be treated with care and protected" so that every kilogram that leaves the country does so through legal channels.

João Bernardo Vieira also noted that a strategic vision and the ability to adapt measures for the cashew sector are needed to cope with the international context marked by economic and political transformations and wars.

He took the opportunity to pay tribute to Guinea-Bissau farmers for their work in producing what is the country's main agricultural and export product.

On Tuesday, the transitional government set the price of cashew nuts at 410 CFA francs (€0.63) per kilogramme for purchases from producers and US$1,050 (€901) per tonne for exports.

*** The Lusa agency's delegation in Guinea-Bissau has been suspended since August 2025 following the government's expulsion of representatives of the Portuguese media. Coverage is being provided remotely ***

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