| Summary: | In Senegal, despite the intervention of several projects or programmes to improve the productivity of cashew plantations, the cashew sector still suffers from many difficulties due to low yields and marketing difficulties. This study focuses on the characteristics of cashew tree plantations and the determinants of income according to the organisation of the sector. Thus, socio-economic surveys were carried out among 778 producers in sixty-three (63) villages. The Cobb Douglass production model, which establishes the relationship between the quantity produced and the production factor(s) used, was used to analyse the determinants of income from the sale of nuts by producers. The results obtained showed that the average area of a plantation is on average 2.5 ha (Ziguinchor department), 3.7 ha (Sédhiou) and 2.1 ha (Kolda). The number of cashew trees/ha is estimated at 167 plants/ha in Ziguinchor, 198 plants/ha in Sédhiou and 187 plants/ha in Kolda. The Ziguinchor region is the most productive (385 kg/ha), followed by Sédhiou (280 kg/ha) and Kolda (255 kg/ha). Producers' incomes have improved significantly with good production, with a selling price per kilogram of nuts above 500 Fcfa, but also with better support for producers. On the other hand, factors such as the payment of labour for the collection and maintenance of orchards negatively influence producers' incomes. The cashew nut sector plays an important role in the economy of the agro-ecological zone studied. It contributes significantly to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the producers. However, a structuring of the marketing link would allow producers to better benefit from the sale of cashew nuts.
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