Government says it has almost reached 80 percent of the 6,000 target for the Cashew Infrastructure Development Project (CIDP) in Lukulu District of Western Province.
Lukulu District Acting Agricultural Coordinator (DACO) Simon Masenga says the district last week received 5,773 grafted cashew seedlings to beef up the district nursery which did not have capacity to carter for all farmers.
ZANIS reports Mr. Masenga said in an interview today, that his office the distribution of the seedlings to 20 out of 26 camps which has registered farmers has already commenced with few camps remaining.
Mr. Masenga explained that the remaining six camps are not implementing the project because currently they are no officers manning them hence the office feared that the project was going to be mismanaged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Masenga also disclosed that the district has received eight by 80kg bags of dwarf varieties cashew seeds from Tanzania.
He said that each bag contains about 11 to 12 thousand seeds adding that they geminate after two weeks of planting.
The DACO has since called on farmers to accept and plant the Tanzanian Seed immediately after receiving it adding that it is drought resistant hence it will be very easy to manage once the rain season ends.
The Cashew Infrastructure Development Project is part of government’s policy of job creation as it has the potential to create more than 6,000 full time jobs for rural communities in western province
Does it mean that cashew nuts can only be grown in Western province. DACO please educate me
it only grows in sandy terrain with warm weather not prone to cold weather. i guess it could grow in samfya but when i tried, it wasn’t bearing any fruit. i think zambezi district in northwestern would be okay
Cashew Nuts are highly Nutritious and suitable for both Home Consumption and Export.
Cashew Trees do well in Tropical Climate.
South America has a variety of Cashew Trees, Brazilian Nut Trees and Citrus Fruit Trees that can also be grown in Zambia.
The Zambia National Service (ZNS) can spearhead Countrywide Plantations of assorted Fruit Bearing Trees and Commercial Farming of Soya and Ordinary Beans.
Even this will make all Under FIves mad? I don’t know what goes on upstairs in the only tribal party we have in Zambia!