Cashew nuts, a promising cash crop in the hill tracts of Bangladesh*

During the Covid-19 pandemic, all schools, colleges and other educational institutions including offices were closed down across the whole Bangladesh. As per the government decision, the Moanoghar School was also closed since March 17, 2020. Subsequently all districts and specific areas were locked down. In this situation, the staff of Moanoghar called a meeting to decide on `what-to-dos’ during this lock down of Covid-19. At the meeting all staff members agreed to undertake an agro-based project on the fallow grove land owned by Moanoghar. Notable that Moanoghar owns some 80 acres of land, of which some 34.00 acres are fully grove land (bumpy hilly land). These bumpy lands can be utilized for horticulture and vegetable orchards. Following the decisions of the staff meeting, we decided to bring the hilly land under cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale) cultivation through intercropping of the three types of crops – short, mid and long term. It was analysed that the short and the midterm crops would meet the immediate food need of the Moanoghar children to some extent; while the long term crops could generate a sustainable income for the institution to support the children. And based on the lessons learned from this pilot phase, this integrated hill farming model could be replicated with the guardians across the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). One of the good aspects of cashew is that it can be grown in any soil type and suitable for the hilly areas of CHT. It is also a drought resistant crop. We started cashew plantation project from the mid May. The staff members agreed to contribute labour for clearing and preparing the plantation sites, digging pits, planting, fencing and weeding etc. By 30 July, we brought 5 acres of land under cashew plantation. A total of 460 cashew saplings were planted. To maximize the benefits of the cashew plantation, some short-term crops such as cassava, long beans, pigeon peas and other leafy vegetables were sown on the cashew nut plots. Some 200 banana suckers and citrus saplings were planted as mid-term crops. For the long-term crops, along with cashew trees, local tree species - Honagulo (oroxylum indicum) and Shajna (Moringa oleifera) will be intercropped, particularly during the dry season. Oroxylum indicum bears long beans, which are edible and a delicious vegetable item for the indigenous communities. While the leaves and seeds of Moringa oleiferaare a good source of multivitamins. Both species are indigenous to local environment. Both do have a high medicinal value, apart from economic value. From the cashew nut plantation project, Moanoghar can be benefitted at least in two ways: first, the cashew apples and nuts will add value to the food intakes of the children, and second, in the long run, nuts can be a source of income for the organization. Cashew nut trees are considered environment friendly[1]. Therefore, the other benefit will result from this cashew plantation is that the degraded bumpy hilly lands will be regenerated environmentally. We did a simple economic feasibility study on cashew plantation based on available literature. From the economic analysis it appears that the cashew nut project has a high potential. Investment cost is comparatively low. Household based cashew plantation can be encouraged among the guardians of the Moanoghar children. Initially one needs to invest for four years, with the largest portion for the first year. The cashew nut trees will start bearing fruits from the 4th year of planting. Through intercropping with the short-mid-term crops, the planters can earn income during the first three years. It means, after the 4th year, the investment cost will be reduced gradually.

Cashew plant As estimated, to plant cashew nuts on 1(one) acre of land, it may cost around BDT 75,000, of which the cost for saplings is BDT 5,000 (100 sapling/acre), for fertilizer some BDT 5,000, for labour cost BDT 60,000, and for miscellaneous purposes some BDT 5,000. The large portion of the investment cost is required for hiring labour, which includes for clearing sites, digging pits, weeding etc. For the first year, an intensive care may be required; say, weeding out of the plantation may be needed for three times. If a family contributes own labour for the plantation, the cost will be reduced substantially. In that case, the planter will need the costs for only buying saplings, fertilizers and some technical advice from the agriculture extension. If a cashew plantation is undertaken by a household with own labour contribution, the investment cost will remain minimally low. Let us have a look at the financial analysis of the cashew nuts. The cashew nut trees start bearing fruits from the 4th year, and from the 8th year, they are considered as `mature’ trees. A mature cashew nut tree can bear nuts on an average of 10 – 15 kg; while 85-100 kg of apples. The cashew trees have an estimated economic life span of 35-45 years. If all other conditions remain unchanged, a cashew planter can gain benefits from cashew plantation for more than 30 years once a cashew plantation is established. Currently in the local market, the raw cashew nuts are sold for BDT 80 to BDT 120 (Euro 0.80 to 1.20). If we take an average yield of cashew nuts of 10 kg/tree, a marginal farmer can produce 1,000 kg of cashew nuts from one acre of land. Given the current market prices of raw cashew nuts, his/her gross income is expected to be around BDT 100,000 (Euro 1,000). If the cashew is intercropped with the perennial species like oroxylum indicum and Moringa oleifera, a planter can easily add an estimated income of BDT 50,000 to 60,000 (Euro 500 to 600) from the sale of the produce of these crops. Apparently this cashew project is more profitable than traditional jum (shifting) cultivation on the hill slopes. Apart from economic prospects, the cashew is one of the most suitable cash crops in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh, given the hilly agro-ecological zone. Cashews are suitable to cultivate in any soil condition. The weather of CHT is also appropriate for cashew cultivation. Cashews can be preserved by the farmers for a long time, for which they do not need to worry about marketing. Compared to other seasonal fruits, the farmers can get a good price for cashew nuts. Cashews can be transported from remote villages to the markets easily. In all aspects, cashews can give a comparative advantage than other seasonal fruits in CHT. The health benefits of cashew nuts are amazing. Cashew nuts are considered one of the most delicious and healthiest foods. Cashew is a rich source of vitamin C, five times more than an orange. It also contains higher amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamin B1, which is more than most of the fruits. There is a huge gap between demand and supply of cashews. The three hill districts of CHT, Bangladesh are the only area in the country are suitable for intensive cashew cultivation. According to the Agriculture Extension Department of the government, only some 300 – 400 acres of land are under cashew plantation. Current cashew production in Bangladesh is far below than the demand of the whole country. That’s why Bangladesh is largely dependent on import of cashews from outside, mainly from Thailand and Vietnam. Under these circumstances the Ministry of Agriculture is now encouraging the farmers to take up cashew plantation. As stated by the Minister of Agriculture, by 2030 a target of 150 million cashew saplings will be distributed among the farmers to achieve a production target of 1 million metric tons of cashew in the country (Source: the Daily Jagaran, 21 June 2019). It appears that there is a huge potential for cashews in CHT. To avail of all opportunity, Moanoghar can initiate a `social venture model’ on cashew cultivation by involving its guardian’s networks across the three Hill Districts of CHT. To be cost effective, the Moanoghar’s program should focus on supplying quality saplings and technical support to the farmers. At the same time, Moanoghar can work on linkage building between the farmers and the government service agency, particularly the Agriculture Extension Department in respective areas. To maximize the benefits of the cashew program, Moanoghar should do more work on forward linkage building, such as marketing and processing of cashew nuts. To implement this ‘social venture model’, Moanoghar can explore funding opportunities from its development partners like AJHA and other organisations. This venture can make a difference by creating a sustainable income source for the guardians/farmers in the hills of CHT. This will ultimately contribute to improving access to education to the disadvantaged children in Moanoghar. ~~~~~~ [1] Cashew, a native species to Brazil, was introduced in India by the British for the purpose of afforestation and soil conservation. A cashew tree can absorb greenhouse gas (CO2) some 50 kg. ** This article has been prepared for the Jumpada, a news bulletin published by AJHA, France. This article has been translated into French from English and published in its September 2020 issue.