The National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) said it is nurturing one million seedlings in nurseries to distribute to farmers across the country to boost cashew production.
NCAN President, Dr. Joseph Ajanaku, disclosed this yesterday 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.