The growing cashew business is a silent money-spinner you never know until you grab it or get close to the seller.
Rather like a nation that seriously milks cash from cashews exports.
Now, according to the Pineapple Association, Ghana is among the green cashew producers in Africa, which includes Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Mozambique.
READ ALSO:10 Profitable Farming Ideas In Ghana: 2020/2021 – Check out.
There is more money in processing or roasting cashews than in selling raw ones, the ratio is 1:10.
The main reason for this post is to show you a step-by-step guide on how to be successful on a cashew farm in Ghana.
Business isn’t a fast-paced type of business that takes 3 years to build, but it’s worth the wait. This involves a lot of capital for both planting and harvesting.
Here’s how to start a growing cashew business
GROUND PREPARATION:
Buy land, we do not recommend renting, because it is a long-term investment. Then buy land in the village, protect it by obtaining the necessary documents.
It is best to use sandy soil with laterite. Clean the grass and cut shrubs and trees. Use machines close to the ground and level. Mix sand with animal manure if nutrients are low, but you need to test the soil first to find out its nutrient levels.
Cashew cultivation can be done in both the wet and dry tropics.
PLANTING:
Planting cashews from seeds is just as stressful as coffee and oil palm. To learn about palm oil cultivation, click on it. That is why it is advisable to purchase already sprouted seedlings from
set up a nursery with good species. Alternatively, it takes 3 years to grow the seedlings and 5 years to grow directly (seed).
As with the orange farm, seeds planted directly have less flavor and less
fruit than the mother plant; there are also cashew plants grown directly from an
especially the cashew nut. Go vaccinated for commercial purposes.
If you want to plant yourself, use containers or plant directly in the prepared bed. Put 2-3 seeds in a hole 2-3 cm deep.
Water the nursery every day for 4-7 days after the seeds have germinated. Like on a coffee plantation, use fresh seeds. The vitality lasts from the first day to 4 months, after which the reduction begins. Dry the seeds in the sun for 3 days. Then soak them in water overnight and plant them the next day.
The total distance is 7m x 9m, but you can still use these sowing distances;
At 8m x 5m you will get 100 seedlings per hectare
7.5 x 7.5 will yield 175 per acre
8m x 8m you get 156 per hectare
In the early stages, while the cashew grows and covers the farm, you can intervene in mania, plantain, pineapple, and more.
Fertilization:
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and zinc fertilizers are used to grow cashew nuts. Cashew crops need nutrients at every stage of development to grow faster and bear good fruit. As they grow, give them fertilizer even during fruit and flowering. Once a year, add 15 kg of yard manure to the ripe cashew nut.
IRRIGATION OF CASHEW AGRICULTURE:
Water the cashew farm during the dry season or when drafts start to rain. To get more fruit, water them properly and regularly. Don’t worry about watering the plants during the rainy season, but water them once a week or twice during the dry season. On cashew farms, the temperature of 25C-30 is ideal for optimal growth. You need 6 hours of direct sunlight every day. If you make the mistake of growing them in the shade, they will not bear fruit.
PRUNING/MULCHING IN CASHEW FARMING:
Cashew plants are pruned in the same way as hibiscus plants, cutting off any tangled branches, removing the overcrowded area to make room for straight branches to be cleaned. To learn how to grow hibiscus, visit my website. To reduce weed growth and retain moisture, use compost fertilizer throughout the farm mulch.
PLAGUES / DISEASES:
Some pests of cashew growing are; root and stem drill, tea mosquito, leaf mine, etc.
Diseases; forum twigs and shoots die, root rot, etc. Use pesticides and insecticides, plant-resistant varieties.
WHY SHOULD YOU START CASHEW FARMING?
Growing cashews is a time-consuming investment that can take more than 50 years.
Cashew is the best product derived from cashew growing. But you can turn an apple into fruit juice for more money.
Walnuts are in high demand and the price continues to double every year, making them very profitable.
Cashew nuts are usually priced in dollars because most of the people involved are exporters.
Cashew season is 3-4 months; you can imagine that you have to accumulate for a long time, the business is filled with different revenue streams.
HARVESTING/DRYING OF CASHEW NUTS:
The ripe fruit begins to fall at the end of January. Be sure to clean the trees before they trees begin to bear fruit. Remove grass and other weeds around the tree to effectively collect green cashews. When the fruit falls; so it means they have matured. Harvest the walnuts within 2-3 days after the fall so as not to reduce their quality.
With a sharp knife to tear the apple from the nut, ineffective detachment of the walnuts would affect the quality. Dry on a clean surface and continue to invert frequently to ensure even drying.
Do not dry them indoors as they may delay drying, which can lead to rot. Due to rust, do not dry them even on a metal surface. When the nuts dry well, they can rotate the rattles.
Drying may take a few days, such as 2-3, but always bring them into the room at sunset to prevent moisture from entering the nut.
HOW TO STORE CASHEW NUTS IN GHANA
Keep them in jute bags, not containers, bags, plastic or similar, sew a jute bag to avoid damage. Place the bags on wooden pallets in a dry, well-ventilated place.
Do not place them on the floor to avoid moisture that could damage them.
Leave 0.5 m space between each bag to allow air to circulate properly, sell nuts during the same harvest year to avoid nut spoilage.
HOW TO ROAST CASHEW NUT IN GHANA.
Put the fire on it and place a wire gauge on it, distribute the walnuts evenly, and let the fire bake. Don’t let them burn, break them with breaks when the nuts are prepared in good taste, you can remove them to check. Bake them consistently until you have consumed all the nuts. You can toast the walnuts with salt to flavor the oil. Cashews can also be baked in the oven.
MARKETING
Find companies that buy them for export. Indians have a domain a good representative of cashew companies in Ghana. You can also sell directly to foreign buyers.
