Post by Trade facilitator on Aug 13, 2014 22:39:17 GMT 1
Femi Ibirogba writes on the economic importance of cashew tree, a money-spinning cash crop grown in different parts of the country.
Are you interested in agribusinesses but confused on which area to explore? Growing cashew trees, according to Dr Kayode Ogundare, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Technology, Ahmadu Bello University, means growing perennial trees of wealth with low cost of maintenance.
Cashew is a plantation crop grown for a variety of uses. Its tree is derived from the family Anacardiaceae. The Cashew is grown widely in tropical climate due to its cashew seeds and cashew apples. Just like every other cash crop, cashew cultivation is a major financial crop. It provides supplementary income for the family; it’s a great practice for those that are enthused to reap the full potential of this cash crop.
Nigeria was the world’s largest producer of cashew nuts with a total production of 650,000 metric tons of cashew nut in 2010. To boost cashew productivity, you are encouraged to go into cashew planting today.
Mr O. O. Etudeko of the Deparment of Horticulture and Landscape Technology, Kabba College of Agriculture, Kabba, Kogi State, said major cashew growing areas in Nigeria are, by order of importance, Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Cross River states in the Eastern part of the country; Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun states in the western part, as well as Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Niger and FCT in the North Central and also Sokoto and Kebbi states in the North West part of the country
The tree and nut
The cashew-nut tree is a fast grower and an evergreen tropical tree. It grows to a height of 12m. Blossoming takes place between November and January. Seedling trees flower in the third year after planting. The fruit ripens fully within 2 months. The nut is attached to the lower portion of the cashew apple which is conically shaped. The cashew nut (seed) hangs at the bottom of the apple, and is c-shaped.The cashew seed has within the outside shell the edible kernel or nut. In its raw form, the cashew kernel is soft, white and meaty. When roasted it changes colour and taste. Salted, it appeals to the palate as the most delicious nut. Cashew apples and cashew nuts are excellent sources of nutrition. The cashew apple contains five times more vitamin C than an orange and contains more calcium, iron and vitamin B1 than other fruit such as citrus, avocados and bananas.
Climatic requirements
Cashew trees are genuinely tropical and very frost sensitive. The trees grow in a wide spectrum of climatic regions between the 25 °N and S latitudes. Although the cashew can withstand high temperatures, a monthly mean of 25 °C is regarded as optimal. Yearly rainfall of 1 000 mm is sufficient for production but 1 500 to 2 000 mm can be regarded as optimal. The cashew tree has a well-developed root system and can tolerate drought conditions. Rain during the flowering season causes flower abortion due to anthracnose and mildew. During harvesting, while nuts are on the ground, rain and overcast weather causes the nuts to rot or start germinating. Nuts germinate within four days when lying on wet soil.
Seedlings and planting distance
Cashew seedlings are grown under shade (45 %) and hardened off before planting in the orchard. It is very important not to disturb the root system during planting. Young trees should be supported for the first 2 to 3 years so that wind will not blow the plants over.
A planting distance of 8 x 5m is recommended. The trees grow vigorously in the first three years and as soon as the crowns touch each other alternate trees should be removed until the permanent planting distance of 10 to 10m is reached. Branches hanging on the ground should be removed because they interfere with harvesting. In other parts of the world, cashew trees bear well in spite of the little attention devoted to the orchards.
Recommended varieties
A scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Dr Olufemi Ibiremo, recommends Jumbo, Extra Large and Large varieties of cashew because of the large size of nuts and high yields associated with the varieties. He also said between a fully grown up tree of cashew produces between 10 and 15 kilogrammes of nuts between January and May, and that one hectare of farmland can contain about 300 trees.
Harvest and postharvest handling of cashew nut
According to Mrs Omolola Ekundayo, a lecturer at the Kabba College of Agriculture, Kabba, Kogi State, the harvesting and processing of cashew is very labour intensive. After producing clusters of flowers, cashews produce the edible apple, and also a nut encased in a heavy shell, which is the true cashew fruit. The cashew tree flowers for two or three months and fruit mature about two months after the bloom.
Harvesting generally involves collecting the nuts once they have dropped to the ground after maturing. Workers scout the area and detach the nut from the fruit. For the nuts to be easily traced, the surface under the tree has to be free from weeds. In some places, the whole area under the tree is swept free of dry leaves.
A very limited number of nuts fall at the beginning of the production season (January). A peak in the number of nuts falling is gradually attained (February and March) and production slowly declines (April to May). Although activities are labour-intensive and time consuming, they are not heavy and women and children can help.
Drying of the raw material
Cashew nuts are dried in the sun to reduce the moisture content of the nut and to mature the seed in the infra-red and ultra-violet rays of the sun. Cashew nuts could be kept for 12 months or more, provided that they are dried to moisture content of eight percent or below, packed in jute bags and stored under dry conditions.
Storage
Technical requirements for storage are dependent on weather conditions. As cashew nuts are usually produced in climates with a long dry season, simple buildings with concrete floors and walls, and roofs of corrugated metal should provide adequate storage. Certain prerequisites, Ekundayo added, that must be satisfied to ensure safe storage include a waterproof, dry floor; a firm and secure roof; openings in the wall must be protected in order to prevent water from entering the room; the store should be easily inspected: there must be sufficient clearance between the wall and the bags, so as to allow individuals to walk around and check the condition of the stack; and the stack must be placed on a raised wooden platform in order to prevent moisture from being drawn from the floor to the nuts.
Market value
A kilogramme of dried unprocessed cashew nuts is sold for about N100 locally, that is, N100,000 per tonne during the off—season, while the price at international market hovers around $1,000. However, when an exporter adds value to this product by processing it into kernels, the price could quadruple that of raw cashew nut. Export market: The major buyers of cashew nut from Nigeria are India and Singapore. A smaller percentage goes to Europe, while Olam Nigeria is the major processor in the country.
Source: TRIBUNE
Are you interested in agribusinesses but confused on which area to explore? Growing cashew trees, according to Dr Kayode Ogundare, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Technology, Ahmadu Bello University, means growing perennial trees of wealth with low cost of maintenance.
Cashew is a plantation crop grown for a variety of uses. Its tree is derived from the family Anacardiaceae. The Cashew is grown widely in tropical climate due to its cashew seeds and cashew apples. Just like every other cash crop, cashew cultivation is a major financial crop. It provides supplementary income for the family; it’s a great practice for those that are enthused to reap the full potential of this cash crop.
Nigeria was the world’s largest producer of cashew nuts with a total production of 650,000 metric tons of cashew nut in 2010. To boost cashew productivity, you are encouraged to go into cashew planting today.
Mr O. O. Etudeko of the Deparment of Horticulture and Landscape Technology, Kabba College of Agriculture, Kabba, Kogi State, said major cashew growing areas in Nigeria are, by order of importance, Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi and Cross River states in the Eastern part of the country; Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun states in the western part, as well as Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Niger and FCT in the North Central and also Sokoto and Kebbi states in the North West part of the country
The tree and nut
The cashew-nut tree is a fast grower and an evergreen tropical tree. It grows to a height of 12m. Blossoming takes place between November and January. Seedling trees flower in the third year after planting. The fruit ripens fully within 2 months. The nut is attached to the lower portion of the cashew apple which is conically shaped. The cashew nut (seed) hangs at the bottom of the apple, and is c-shaped.The cashew seed has within the outside shell the edible kernel or nut. In its raw form, the cashew kernel is soft, white and meaty. When roasted it changes colour and taste. Salted, it appeals to the palate as the most delicious nut. Cashew apples and cashew nuts are excellent sources of nutrition. The cashew apple contains five times more vitamin C than an orange and contains more calcium, iron and vitamin B1 than other fruit such as citrus, avocados and bananas.
Climatic requirements
Cashew trees are genuinely tropical and very frost sensitive. The trees grow in a wide spectrum of climatic regions between the 25 °N and S latitudes. Although the cashew can withstand high temperatures, a monthly mean of 25 °C is regarded as optimal. Yearly rainfall of 1 000 mm is sufficient for production but 1 500 to 2 000 mm can be regarded as optimal. The cashew tree has a well-developed root system and can tolerate drought conditions. Rain during the flowering season causes flower abortion due to anthracnose and mildew. During harvesting, while nuts are on the ground, rain and overcast weather causes the nuts to rot or start germinating. Nuts germinate within four days when lying on wet soil.
Seedlings and planting distance
Cashew seedlings are grown under shade (45 %) and hardened off before planting in the orchard. It is very important not to disturb the root system during planting. Young trees should be supported for the first 2 to 3 years so that wind will not blow the plants over.
A planting distance of 8 x 5m is recommended. The trees grow vigorously in the first three years and as soon as the crowns touch each other alternate trees should be removed until the permanent planting distance of 10 to 10m is reached. Branches hanging on the ground should be removed because they interfere with harvesting. In other parts of the world, cashew trees bear well in spite of the little attention devoted to the orchards.
Recommended varieties
A scientist at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), Dr Olufemi Ibiremo, recommends Jumbo, Extra Large and Large varieties of cashew because of the large size of nuts and high yields associated with the varieties. He also said between a fully grown up tree of cashew produces between 10 and 15 kilogrammes of nuts between January and May, and that one hectare of farmland can contain about 300 trees.
Harvest and postharvest handling of cashew nut
According to Mrs Omolola Ekundayo, a lecturer at the Kabba College of Agriculture, Kabba, Kogi State, the harvesting and processing of cashew is very labour intensive. After producing clusters of flowers, cashews produce the edible apple, and also a nut encased in a heavy shell, which is the true cashew fruit. The cashew tree flowers for two or three months and fruit mature about two months after the bloom.
Harvesting generally involves collecting the nuts once they have dropped to the ground after maturing. Workers scout the area and detach the nut from the fruit. For the nuts to be easily traced, the surface under the tree has to be free from weeds. In some places, the whole area under the tree is swept free of dry leaves.
A very limited number of nuts fall at the beginning of the production season (January). A peak in the number of nuts falling is gradually attained (February and March) and production slowly declines (April to May). Although activities are labour-intensive and time consuming, they are not heavy and women and children can help.
Drying of the raw material
Cashew nuts are dried in the sun to reduce the moisture content of the nut and to mature the seed in the infra-red and ultra-violet rays of the sun. Cashew nuts could be kept for 12 months or more, provided that they are dried to moisture content of eight percent or below, packed in jute bags and stored under dry conditions.
Storage
Technical requirements for storage are dependent on weather conditions. As cashew nuts are usually produced in climates with a long dry season, simple buildings with concrete floors and walls, and roofs of corrugated metal should provide adequate storage. Certain prerequisites, Ekundayo added, that must be satisfied to ensure safe storage include a waterproof, dry floor; a firm and secure roof; openings in the wall must be protected in order to prevent water from entering the room; the store should be easily inspected: there must be sufficient clearance between the wall and the bags, so as to allow individuals to walk around and check the condition of the stack; and the stack must be placed on a raised wooden platform in order to prevent moisture from being drawn from the floor to the nuts.
Market value
A kilogramme of dried unprocessed cashew nuts is sold for about N100 locally, that is, N100,000 per tonne during the off—season, while the price at international market hovers around $1,000. However, when an exporter adds value to this product by processing it into kernels, the price could quadruple that of raw cashew nut. Export market: The major buyers of cashew nut from Nigeria are India and Singapore. A smaller percentage goes to Europe, while Olam Nigeria is the major processor in the country.
Source: TRIBUNE
