US$55.4m invested in Cashew nuts production
GOVERNMENT has invested US$55.4 million to promote cashew nut production through the Cashew nuts infrastructure development project in Western Province, President Edgar Lungu announced yesterday.
President Edgar Lungu said government envisages Zambia becoming a major player in the global cashew nuts industry.
“In this respect, I urge the provisional administration in working together with the minister of Agriculture to take the cashew project seriously,” he said.
Mr Lungu said the project should be taken very seriously because the country would need to make a return on the US$55.4 million invested in the project.
President Lungu said this at a Cashew nut planting exercise at Nweeke Cashew Plantation in Western Province yesterday.
He said his administration would not rest until increased cashew nuts production was increased in Western Province and benefit of cashew business trickled down to the people of Western Province.
President Lungus said it was disappointing that at the moment cashew nuts production in the country was far from impressive.
He said currently the country was only producing about 850 metric tons per annum and the country only had about 1.7 million cashew trees.
“The production of cashew nuts is very poor but I know we can do better than this. On a positive side, I know and I have no doubt that the cashew industry will turn around and will become a vehicle for wealth creation for many farmers in the country,” he said.
President Lungu said however for this to happen, there was need for every Zambian to rally behind government’s efforts and its implementing partners to revive the cashew industry.
He said he was glad to learnt that people were having interest in cashew production and that government would continue investing huge resources under the cashew nut Infrastructure development project to the benefit of the people of Zambia.
President Lungu said there was great potential for the cashew nuts production in Western Province.
He said he was hopeful that as the country continued to record milestones in the cashew industry through the Cashew Infrastructure development project, the whole nation would also appreciate the value of the cashew industry to the country’s economic development.
Mr Lungu said he was confident that cashew nuts production would transform the lives of many farmers in the country.
President Lungu said that the partnership had been forged with the Export Trading Group which would ensure that the targeted 6 million cashew trees are planted by the end of the project.
He also said that a total seedling production from the 338 community nurseries in the Province would reach 3.2 million in 2020 which translated to about 46, 000 hectares when planted.
President Lungu said there was need to ensure that the issue of productivity of the existing Cashew growers which was still very low, was addressed.
He said the issue of low productivity was very common for all crops in Zambia.
Speaking earlier Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said his ministry was confident that the project implementation was heading in the right direction.
Mr. Katambo said he was happy that the provincial administration to whom his ministry delegated the responsibility to implement the project had accelerated the planting of seedlings.
And speaking for the Barotse Royal Establishment Ngambela Mukela Manyando said the cashew project did not come by accident in the province but to alleviate poverty levels in the area.
Ngambela Manyando said the Roysl establishment had taken it as a personal assignment to ensure that the industry was developed in the region.