Petauke Farmers Turn to Cashew Nuts for Extra Income.

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By Hope Bwalya

‎Cashew nut production, has slowly taken root in Petauke District with trees planted in 2021 now beginning to bear fruit.

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‎For 52-year-old farmer Peter Zulu, the crop offers prospects of generating additional income through the sale of cashew nuts and seedlings, alongside the environmental benefits the trees provide.
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‎Mr Zulu said this when a delegation comprising of Ministry of Agriculture and the EPJSLP visited his field.

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‎Mr Zulu, who received 60 cashew nut seedlings under the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZIFLP) the now Eastern Province Jurisdiction Sustainable Landscape Program (EPJSLP) in 2021, says 30 of the trees have survived and started producing fruit.
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‎”We were given the cashew nut seed in 2021 by ZIFLP.
‎I got 60 seedlings I planted but currently only 30 trees survived. So the cashew nut helps as a wind breaker and when it starts producing fruits I will be selling the seedlings and the fruits.
‎We were told the trees will start bearing fruits after three years as they are improved trees,” he said.
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‎Mr Zulu says although the initial harvest was limited, he harvested some cashew nuts for household consumption last year and is optimistic about a better harvest this year.
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‎Eastern Province Jurisdiction Sustainable Landscape Program (EPJSLP) District Project Officer for Petauke and Lusangazi Chipango Lukungu urged farmers to undertake agroforestry as a means of maximising land use by integrating fruit trees into their farming systems without disrupting crop production.
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‎Ms Lukungu says cashew nut production offers farmers an opportunity to earn additional income rather than relying solely on maize cultivation.
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‎“We would like to encourage our farmers that even as they do their fields and plant all these agroforestry species, they can also combine on the same land and maximise the utilisation of the land by planting fruit trees like these cashew nuts, which are well integrated into the farmland and do not disturb the crop,” she said.
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‎Ms Lukungu said cashew nuts have a promising value chain that could provide farmers with an alternative source of income.
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‎“We want our farmers to be multifaceted, not only to just focus on planting maize, but they can also plant fruit trees like cashew nuts and be able to cash in on the proceeds,” she said.
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‎Meanwhile, Chilimanyama Camp Extension Officer Carol Mwelwa says about 400 cashew nut seedlings were supplied under the ZIFLP in 2021 and distributed among lead farmers.
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‎Ms Mwelwa says cashew trees offer both environmental and economic benefits by improving soil health and providing fruit that farmers can sell.
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‎“Cashew nut is a tree that has two benefits: it improves our soil, and the fruit the farmer will sell,” she said.
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‎Ms Mwelwa has urged farmers to plant beneficial tree species, including cashew nuts and Gliricidia, to support sustainable agricultural practices.
ZANIS.

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