[Easy Tips] How To Start Growing Cashew In Ghana

Cashew farming in Ghana has been popular recently, as the natural uses of the nut have been found. In recent decades, cashew farming has been increasingly popular among farmers due to the strong demand for its nut for eating and the juice it provides for fresh fruit juice.

To start cashew farming in Ghana, you will need to determine the size of your plantation, write up a business plan, purchase land to farm on, then cultivate the land to begin cashew farming.

We’d like to show you how to start a cashew-growing business in Africa.

How To Start Growing Cashew In Ghana- Step By Step Guide

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to start cashew farming in Ghana;

Step 1: Put some money aside for the start-up.

Your first cashew plantation costs will include the cost of acquiring land, purchasing and preparing planting materials, and any other necessary expenses. Before starting a cashew plantation, it is vital to conduct a complete financial analysis of the project.

Read Also: How to Start Rice Farming in Ghana [Complete Guide]

Step 2: Check the Quality of the Soil

As a general rule, it is believed that cashews may thrive in any type of soil, including those with low fertility. Planting a cashew orchard on sandy loam with deep, well-drained sandy soils, on the other hand, is sure to increase yields.

Cashew favors soils with a pH that is slightly acidic, such as red sandy loam, lateritic soils, and coastal sands. Deficiencies in nutrients, poor drainage, and soil pH can all affect cashew’s ability to thrive, so soil fertility repair and maintenance are necessary (above 8.0)

Step 3: Preparing the land

Depending on the terrain, the costs of getting ready may vary, but they should be taken into account and done as soon as possible, preferably before the rainy season which is the best time cashews are planted. This will increase the likelihood of a prosperous harvest.

Read Also: How To Grow Beans In Ghana [Begginers Guide]

Step 4: Planting and Laying the Groundwork

Cashew trees should be planted in a square system with a normal distance of 7 to 9 meters apart, and those planted on sloppy terrain are should be spaced in a triangle system. 8m x 8m (156 plants/ha) and 8m x 7.5m (177 plants/ha) are the recommended planting spacing.

As a result, a high-density planting technique of 625 plants/ha (4m 4m) with occasional thinning out of the plants is advised for the first few years.

Cashew seeds can be tested for viability by sinking in water, but you can also cultivate them in a nursery or start them as seedlings.

Read Also: How To Start Hot Pepper Farming In Ghana [Beginners Guide]

Other techniques such as grafting and layering can be used to propagate plants that are already in the ground. planting should be timed to correspond with other cultural techniques like mulching, fertilizer application, and watering during the wet season. weed and insect control.

Propagation Via Seedlings

The mother trees chosen for propagation should have a high percentage of hermaphrodite flowers in their panicles. With an annual yield of 15 kg per tree, the plants should be producing medium-sized, heavy nuts (5-8 grams per nut) with an average of eight nuts per panicle.

Cultivating cashew using Seedlings

May is a wonderful time to grow seedlings in polythene bags. If you want to watch your seedlings grow faster, soak your seed nuts for 18 to 24 hours. Place the stem end of the seed nuts in a polythene bag and submerge them in a depth of 2-3 cm of garden soil. The germination time of seeds is typically seven to ten days.

Nuts And Seeds Selection

Sun-drying freshly picked seed nuts for two to three days is recommended during the peak harvest months of February and March.

You should choose nuts that are between 7-9 grams in weight to guarantee that the seedlings grow evenly and robustly.

Read Also: How To Start Growing Onions In Ghana [Beginners Guide]

Preparing the seeds for storage in gunny or polythene bags, apply 5 grams of carbaryl per kilogram of dry, graded seeds.

Preparation of Sowing Mixture

Potting mix for high and low rainfall areas should be enriched by adding 10g of rock phosphate to the red soil combination for each 2kg of the potting mixture.

Seeds’ Germination and Dissemination

It’s best to soak the seed nuts for at least a day or two before planting. Before seeding, the soil in the polythene bag should be damp and loose. Seeds should be sown in a 2.5-cm-deep bed of soil.

The seed nuts usually germinate within 15 to 20 days of being seeded. Rice straw can be used to shade the seedbed and cover it during the early stages of germination.

Each cashew plant needs 750 grams of N, 325 grams of P2O5, and 750 grams of K2O. One-fifth of the suggested dosage should be used for the first year, and in the second year, two-fifths of it.

Pineapple is the most profitable inter-crop in cashew plantations in the early stages of growth.

As a general rule, poor soils should be split into two parts: one that is 7 feet wide and 7 feet long, and the other that is 10 feet wide and 10 feet long.

The fruits will be ready for transplanting two months after fertilization.

Step 5: Harvesting

Cashews are ready to eat in January or February, three months after flowering. When it comes to cashew fruit, both the nuts and fruits are edible and useful. As a matter of preference, it can be consumed fresh or dried. Canned or pressed fruits can be used to make juice.

Before selling cashew nuts, it is best advised to dry in the sun for three to four days.

Read Also: How To Start Farming In Ghana Step By Step Guide

Products From The Cashew Tree

You can use cashew to produce juices, jams, and other beverages, Cashew Wine, Cashew Nut

After they’ve been plucked from the tree, cashews can be salted or roasted.

Where Do Cashew Trees Grow Best?

Cashew prefers red sandy loam, lateritic soils, and coastal sands with a slightly acidic pH. Because cashew is highly susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, poor drainage, and soil pH, soil fertility restoration and maintenance can be used (above 8.0)

How Do I Start A Cashew Farm?

Starting a cashew farm requires determining the size of your plantation, drawing a business strategy, purchasing lands, and cultivating the land.

How Many Cashews Can One Tree Produce?

At least you can harvest over 400 pieces of cashew can be harvested in one cashew tree.

What Is The Life Cycle Of Cashew?

In commercial plantations, cashew trees can grow to a height of 12 meters (39.4 feet) and have a useful life expectancy of 25 years before they need to be replaced.

Is Cashew Processing Profitable?

Yes, if you venture into cashew processing, it is a profitable business to start.

What Type Of Soil Do Cashews Grow In?

Cashew prefers red sandy loam, lateritic soils, and coastal sands with a slightly acidic pH. Because cashew is highly susceptible to nutrient deficiencies, poor drainage, and soil pH, soil fertility restoration and maintenance can be used (above 8.0)

How Do You Plant Cashew Tree?

Trees are often spaced 7 to 9 meters apart when planted in a square system, whereas those on sloppy land are typically spaced in a triangle system.

There are two recommended planting spacing: 8m x 8m (156 plants/ha) and 8m x 7.5m (177 plants/ha). Additionally, a high-density planting approach of 4m 4m (625 plants/ha) with periodic thinning out of the plants is recommended to permit a higher return rate during the initial years.

Which Fertilizer Is Best For Cashew Tree?

A mature cashew tree requires 500 grams of nitrogen fertilizer (or 1.1 kilograms of urea), 125 grams of phosphoric acid (or 750 kilograms of Single Page 5 Super Phosphate), and 125 grams of potassium dioxide (or 200 kilograms of potash muriate).

How Many Cashews Grow Per Hectare In Ghana?

You can grow at least 177 stands of cashew trees on a hectare of farmland in Nigeria.

How Often Can You Harvest Cashew?

You can harvest it as it keeps fruiting.

How Do You Market Cashew Nuts?

You can take your cashew to a merchant into produce buying like cocoa, palm kernel, and related agro products in your area.

How Many Cashews Grow On An Acre?

Averagely, you can grow 50 stands of cashew on an acre of farmland.

When Should I Fertilize My Cashews?

Feeding Cashew with fertilizer after the pre-monsoon (May-June) and after the post-monsoon (September-October) is recommended. As long as the soil is sufficiently moist after the monsoon season (September-October), this can be accomplished.

Conclusion

If you are planning to venture into cashew plantation or cultivation in Ghana, we have given you all you need to know here in this content.