The sector involved millions of smallholder farmers and more than 10 000 processing workers, making it the fourth largest employer after the railways, sugar and textiles. But by late 1990s the post-independence civil war, a slowing economy and poor policy decisions had destroyed the sector. Abandon and neglect gradually led to the spread of pests and diseases, the over-maturing and halt of replanting of cashew trees, and uncontrolled forest fires which affected important parts of cashew orchards. Processing capacity also deteriorated, both physically and in terms of human expertise.