Cashew Cultivation: An Opportunity To Diversify Agricultural Production
Mahama Abdulai, a cocoa farmer from Sori No. 1 in the Savannah region of Ghana, was looking for a second crop to generate additional income. Through his village agricultural adviser, he heard about the activities of the USDA Food for Progress West Africa PRO-Cashew Project. Initially, he had little interest in cashew plantations and limited knowledge of their potential benefits. Abdulai was unsure of the crop’s profitability and didn’t know the techniques needed for successful cultivation, which made him reluctant to start.
Despite these reservations, Abdulai decided to give it a try and established a two-acre cashew plantation using grafted seedlings supplied by the PRO-Cashew Project.
The project also provided Abdulai with comprehensive training on farm management techniques, focusing specifically on how these techniques could improve the quality of cashew nuts. Through this training, Abdulai learned the importance of proper cashew farm management, fertilization, pruning, and pest control in ensuring healthy tree growth and optimizing nut quality.
“The knowledge gained will not only help me improve my cashew productivity but also significantly enhance the quality of the cashew nuts produced.”
PRO-Cashew supports nurseries, cashew seedling retailers, and other stakeholders in improving the efficiency and sustainability of grafted seedling production through private-sector partnerships that expand the supply of cost-effective, high-performing seedlings. The distribution of grafted seedlings is aimed primarily at small-scale producers of raw cashew nuts. Last year, from his two-acre cashew farm, Abdulai harvested about three bags (85 kilograms each) which he sold at $0.32 (5 GHS) per kilogram. This year, his yield has been excellent, producing seven bags which he sold at $0.59 (9 GHS) per kilogram. This improvement has enabled him to pay the full tuition fees for his son, who is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree program at the University for Development Studies in Tamale, and to purchase additional farm inputs for his plantation.
