Cashew production rising ‘without government support’

Cashew is one seasonal fruit that is easy to grow. Though it starts bearing fruits 3-4 years after planting, it is an economic tree that can live for 40 years or more, farmers said. It enjoys wide patronage by consumers who extract its juice or process the nuts for various purposes. According to researchers from […]

Cashew is one seasonal fruit that is easy to grow. Though it starts bearing fruits 3-4 years after planting, it is an economic tree that can live for 40 years or more, farmers said. It enjoys wide patronage by consumers who extract its juice or process the nuts for various purposes.
According to researchers from the University of Montreal and the Universite de Yaounde in Cameroon, cashew can help prevent insulin resistance in diabetics by improving the body’s response to insulin.
Halimatu Sadiyya Abubakar, a professional caterer and fresh juice vendor at Gwarinpa Estate Abuja, said the fruit juice extracted from cashew is among the most sought-after beverages in the market.
“We have no industry for the extraction of juice from cashew. I am not aware of any. What we do is to use blender meant for blending tomato to blend cashew. You will first remove the nuts, wash the cashew and blend. Then you will use filter to separate the juice from the shaft.
“Cashew juice is naturally sweet. Nothing is added to it. You either take it immediately or put it in a fridge for one or two hours to cool before taking it. It actually cures diabetes.
“So many people, old and young, come around to buy the juice. We buy a basket of cashew between N800 and N1, 400 depending on the availability in the market. After the process, we sell a big cup of chilled cashew juice for N200. I wish government can set up small processing industries at strategic places, to help provide jobs for most youths,” she said.     
Most of the cashew being consumed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is produced in villages along Kaduna road in Niger State.
Alhaji Umar Gagidi is a cashew farmer along Abuja-Kaduna road. He said cashew takes five to eight years after planting before producing fruits.
“The seed we use are not improved seed. We are not aware of any improved seed so we still use our local seeds for planting. Farmers have different ways of identifying the seeds that bear fruits on time. The ones that do not will be immediately destroyed and replaced.”
Umar said cashew does not need the application of fertilizer, adding that the plant can grow anywhere but that the major impediment to the productivity of the plant is wind, which can blow away its nectars. According to him, heat helps the plant to produce more fruits.
“We make a lot of money through farming cashew because we sell both fruits and the seeds. In a day, we can get over 20 baskets from one farm and that will continue for two months,” he said.
He lamented lack of processing facilities for cashew, which could add value to the product, stressing that some of the fruits rot away if not taken in two days. He called on government to support them by setting up processing facilities to help farmers add value to the product as cashew is wasting away as a result of glut.
Umar said companies from Lagos come to buy the seeds from them every year, amounting to over 20-trailer-load of 100 bags each from the area. A bag goes for between N8, 000 and N10, 000 depending on the weight of the bag.
Alhaji Usman Nasaru, a 54-year-old Abuja-based businessman and an ardent consumer of cashew juice, said he takes it as a cure for diabetes, adding, “I was diagnosed with diabetes in Benin City in 2004. Since then, I have been taking drugs daily until I visited Guinea Bissau in 2010 and heard that they have no diabetes because the take fresh cashew juice.
“Since then I stopped taking drugs and resorted to taking cashew juice and my diabetes is gone. You know cashew is seasonal. You can get the fruits for only four months or thereabout in a year. When it is in season, I take the juice daily and that takes care of me for the rest of the year. When you take fresh cashew juice, it tastes very nice because it is naturally sweet,” he said.
Okafor Nzelu is a motor mechanic at Suleja and said he does not know if it cures diabetes, saying, “I take it for leisure. I like the taste. If they can set up a company that will be bottling the fresh juice and sell to people, I am sure they will get patronage.
“Whenever cashew is available in the market, I do not take any drink again. I will always buy N200 or N300 worth and take home for my wife to blend for the entire family. Once you take it, you feel refreshed. I prefer it to other fruits,” he said.