Seminar recap on the TREASURED ENTREPRENEURS ASSOCIATION “TEA” hall of wealth general active group page held on the 4th November 2019..

👉🏼Theme:

❤ Cashew Nut Farming Business In NIGERIA

🎤 FACILITATOR/SPEAKER/DISCUSSANT

🗣Mr Ashade Adebayo

The cashew tree ( Anacardium occidentale L.) is a medium-sized tropical tree usually cultivated for its fruit (cashew nut) and pseudofruit (cashew apple). It is also a multipurpose species that provides a broad range of services. About 30-40% cashew kernels are discarded during the process of roasting and are then fed to livestock

The cashew tree is a multipurpose species, and cashew products have a wide range of uses. The kernel of the cashew nut, the pseudofruit (cashew apple) and the leaves are edible. Almost all parts of the cashew tree are reported to have ethnomedicinal properties…

Cashew grows almost everywhere in Nigeria but is concentrated primarily in the southern and middle belt regions by small landholding farmers. Major cashew growing across in Nigeria are Enugu, Abia, Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Cross River States in the Eastern part of Nigeria; Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, and Ogun States in the western part as well as Kwara, Kogi, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Niger and Abuja in the middle belt and also Sokoto and kebbi state in the Northwest part of the country….

Cashew is grown in 23 state in Nigeria…

I don’t want to bore you with technical part of it…

But for little benefit us all of us….

Cashew is typical of a tropical plant and fruit sensitive tree crop that starts fruiting from February and lasts till near rainy season in Nigeria. Its fruits are freshly harvested within this period for processing and consumption. Also, the nuts when fresh are normally sold raw or processed to some degree before being sold or exported….

listed below are requirements for starting a Cashew farm in Nigeria
Capital
Capital is necessary for starting a cashew plantation, as it is required for acquisition and preparation of land, acquiring and preparing planting materials and other necessary activities that are geared at developing a cashew plantation. It is recommended that proper evaluation of the venture should be carefully accessed to determine the cost implication before settling to establish a cashew plantation.
Soil
Cashew is tropical and has a general notion that it is very modest in its soil requirements and can adapt itself to varying soil condition without impairing productivity. However, establishing a cashew plantation on good soils-deep and well-drained sandy loam would surely improve its performance. Red sandy loam, lateritic soils and coastal sands with slightly acidic pH have been reported best for cashew. Nevertheless, soil fertility improvement and maintenance can be employed because cashew is very sensitive to nutrient deficiencies, poor drainage and soil pH (above 8.0)
Land preparation
The land selected for cashew plantation should be thoroughly ploughed and levelled, depending on the selected land condition, cost of land preparation may vary but at best cost implication should be considered and ensured to be timely, especially before the rainy seasons when planting should be done.
Layout and Planting
Cashew trees are generally planted with a spacing of 7 to 9 meters adopting square system on level land and a triangular system for sloppy land. Planting spacing of 7.5m × 7.5m (177plants/ha) or 8m × 8m(156 plants/ha) is recommend. Also, to enable a higher return rate during initial years, high-density planting method of 4m × 4m (625 plants/ha) at the beginning with periodic thinning out of the plants is recommended.
Cashew planting can be done with fresh seeds whose viability can easily be tested by its ability to sink in water or may be raised in the nursery or as seedlings. Also, propagation techniques such as grafting and layering may be used in planting. Planting should be aimed at the onset of the rainy to facilitate germination, growth, and establishment; alongside other cultural activities like mulching, fertilizer application, reseeding, irrigation, weed, and pest control.
Harvesting
Cashew usually matures 3months after flowering, which is usually around January, February. The cashew nut is separated from the fruit. The fruit can be eaten raw, dried. Canned or squeeze for juice production.
The nuts are sun-dried for 3-4 days, stored and ready for export.

Products from the cashew tree
Cashew Apple or fruit (this can be eaten raw or preserved to serve as raw material for companies that produces Juice, jams or beverages).
Cashew Wine- This is very popular in Asian countries
Cashew Nut – Nuts gotten from cashew trees can be processed in various ways either roasted or salted
Cashew nut Shell Liquid {CNSL} this is one of the major raw material used in the production of friction powder in the automotive industry, acid-resistant paints, insecticides, and fungicides.

Cashew Nut Preservation and Storage
After the collection of the nuts, they are sundry for 3-4 days on a flat surface, avoid using metallic surface while drying. Ensure the nuts are spread evenly to ensure uniform drying.
The moisture content must not be more than 8% after drying. The dried nuts can be packed in a jute bag sealed and stored in a cool and darkroom. Place the jute bags on wooden pallets to avoid moisture absorption from the floor.

Just given the little technical things about cashew nuts…

We will talk about the business aspect of it…

Let me know if you are with me ooo….🤷🏼‍♀🤷🏼‍♀

In 2013, the world production of cashew nuts was 4.39 million t. The 5 most important producers were Vietnam (1.1 million t), Nigeria (0.97 million t), India (0.75 million t), Côte d’Ivoire (0.45 million t) and Benin (0.18 million t). The 5 most important producers of cashew apples were Brazil, Mali, Madagascar and Guyana

This is the aspect I will like us to know….

After Ethiopia in Africa , Nigeria become the largest producer of raw cashew nuts….

It was mainly grown by shagari government to control erosion…

Before it turn to business…

1987 Nigeria produce about 195,000 tons of cashew, when Ivory coast was doing 5000 tons and Vietnam was not part of cashew growing nation…

Fast forward.. 2019, Nigeria production drop to 250,000 from about 400,000 tons while Ivory increase to about 700,000 tons and Tanzania about 350,000..

And Vietnam about 1.1m tons….

It take 5 years for a tree of cashew to start fruiting….

There is new one that fruit 3 years but attain full production at 5 years…

A tree of cashew nuts full production will give between 16-24kg….

And cashew nuts has shelf life of 35years for full production…

That mean it will start full production by 5th and maintain it till 40years before it started dropping in production…

It can still make fruit up till 20-30 years if properly taking care of at low production

Low production is 8-12kg

That mean if I plant cashew nuts when am 35 years it will start full fruiting when am 40 years…

And will give full production till am 75 years…

And continue fruit till am 105 years…

We can plant about 450 trees on one hectares of land…

So if I plant an hectares now .. In the next 5 years I will have.. 7,200kg to 10,800kg…

At open market a kg is between 200-250 naira…

For one hectares I will make 1.7m to 2.5m yearly for the next 35 years…

Cashew nuts is acidic so you not need to weed it much after 5 years. It kill the grass itself natural…

As a business man there is 3 level of investment.. Short time, middle and long time. Cashew nuts it long time and wisdom tell me that I can not put my money and wait for 5 years to start making profit.. So I need to invest my money on short term investment and use my profit on it to start a long time investment like cashew nuts…

With 600k you can setup an hectares of cashew farm and in 5 years you start making 1.7m-2.5m years for first 35years….

This is where I will drop the anchor for tonight seminar….

Thank you all and God bless you all……