The Department of Agriculture at Mion District of the Northern Region has nursed about two 200,000 cashew seedlings which it plans to supply to the smallholder farmers and potential investors in the area.
The seedlings were nursed in a period of eight months and are expected to be transplanted onto various acres of cashew farmlands in the district, as part of effort to boost cashew productions and economic activities in the area.
Out of the number, 1000 would be released to Tilaa Company Limited, a local based firm with focus on agriculture, for production while the rest are to be distributed to smallholder farmers.
The District Director of Agriculture, Shani Abukari Aduwa who disclosed this to the B&FT in an interview at Sang in the Mion District said, agriculture could not thrive well without tree planting, hence the initiation of the project by the Assembly.
He said the seedlings were ready and that farmers have started accessing them to add up to the already crops being cultivated. He said the Assembly will work closely with the farmers to ensure the district become a major hub for cashew production in the country.
According to him, the term objective is to showcase to investors that Mion has huge potential in cashew production.
He added that beneficiary farmers have been trained on best agricultural practices by extension officers and other agricultural experts to help avoid any challenges.
“The agricultural agents are on the field to educate the farmers on the lining and pegging before transplanting of the seedlings to ensure that the right things are done,” he explained.
He further noted that the project has encouraged more of the youth within and outside the area to venture the cashew and other crop production on order to earn a living, adding that some school going children have taken advantage of the holiday to also venture into cashew farming.
“As a district, we are committed to nursing more than 200,000 cashew seedlings to boost cashew plantations in the Northern Region because the soil and weather conditions here are good for cashew production,” he said.
