The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) says it is nurturing one million seedlings in nurseries to distribute to farmers across the country to boost cashew production.
NCAN President, Dr Joseph Ajanaku, said this on Tuesday at the planting of 20,000 seeds of cashew in Makurdi as part of the initiative.
Ajanaku, who was represented by Mr Mohammed Kabir, NCAN National Financial Secretary, said that the effort was in collaboration with Beyond Farm Collection (BFC).
The president added that the aim was to increase the annual production that currently stands at 580,000 metric tonnes to at least two million metric tonnes.
He said that the target was achievable, as 21 states of the federation have fertile land for large-scale cultivation of cashew.
Ajanaku emphasised that the move was imperative because of the vast economic and employment opportunities within the Nigerian cashew sector.
According to him, the cashew industry has the potential to inject billions of dollars into the Nigerian economy if properly supported by the stakeholders.
“We’re currently cultivating about one million cashew seedlings in nurseries to be distributed to cashew farmers nationwide.
“Just last week, I was in Kogi, where we raised 20,000 seedlings. Today, I’m in Benue supervising the nursery here.
“The one million cashew seedlings target is not restricted to just a few states; it’s an ongoing national effort.
Ajanaku said that NCAN had nurtured 300,000 seedlings across seven states of Kogi, Benue, Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Edo, and Enugu.
“So far, we have completed Kogi and Benue, and work is currently ongoing in Edo.
“After that, we will move to other states with suitable land and climate for cashew cultivation,” he added.
He described the Benue soil across the three senatorial zones as suitable for the cultivation of cashew.
Mrs Bridget Yough, Benue NCAN Chairperson, lauded the national leadership for choosing the state for the initiative.
Yough stated that based on last year’s analysis, they discovered that Benue produced just about 5,000 metric tonnes of cashew, adding that the figure was low considering the state’s potential.
“To boost productivity and benefit from this agricultural venture, we need quality seedlings and not just any seedlings. These are ‘Ogbomosho’ seedlings, which are known to be excellent for export.
“In fact, they are in high demand across Nigeria and even beyond. We’re grateful to have received them here for our farmers.
“Benue is starting with 20,000 seedlings, as you can see. We’re already planting them now. But we are requesting more, and we believe the national office will support us further,’’ she said.
Yough said cashew was extremely profitable, adding that ‘cashews are like diamonds on trees’.
She said that the older the cashew tree gets, the richer the farmer becomes.
“Right now, the minimum return you can get per metric tonne is about ₦1.8 million.
“If you plant cashew on one hectare of land, about 200 trees, you can generate at least four million naira annually. That’s the minimum. So yes, cashew is very lucrative,” she said.
The State Secretary of NCAN, Mr James Ekele, said that Benue has vast forested land and that what the national office was doing was empowering farmers, especially in Benue.
Ekele said the effort by the national body would enable them to convert idle lands into productive ventures and to generate income from them.
“I believe that as sensible and forward-thinking people, we’re already embracing this initiative wholeheartedly.
“And I think the government should also look into what the national office is doing and find ways to support and scale up cashew production across the states.
“Today, we’re facing challenges like insurgency and terrorists setting up camps in our communities, but cashew is one crop that can help us reclaim and put our lands to productive use.
“It can help chase away these threats by keeping the land busy and secure. But one of the major challenges farmers face is that many of our lands are still forested,” he stated.
The secretary called on the Benue government to invest in the sector by opening up farmland and providing machinery to remove trees and make the land arable again.
He urged the government to also empower farmers to access more seedlings and inputs.
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