Drobo (B/A), Aug. 2, GNA - The Cashew Development Project aimed at reinvigorating the cashew industry as a major export cash crop has taken off in earnest in the Jaman District.

Dr. John Niendow Karimu, District Director of Agriculture told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Drobo in Brong-Ahafo that the District is the leading producer of the crop in Brong Ahafo and the whole country. He said virtually all farmers in the district cultivate the crop alongside food crops on a minor scale but commercially there are more than 1,000 farmers who have on the average 1.5 acres of cashew under cultivation.

Jaman, Wenchi and Kintampo are three districts in the Region and seven others in Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East and West regions selected for the cashew development pilot project for the next six years.

The District Director said currently 18,000 hectares of land is under cultivation of the crop throughout the country while 5,000 metric tones of the cashew nuts are produced nation-wide. Last year, total production was 1.8 metric tones and it is expected that this will shoot up to two metric tones this year, Dr Karimu said, adding that the Pilot Project consists of production, processing and marketing of the crop.

Dr. Karimu said the Government had contracted a 13.2 million United States dollars loan from the African Development Bank to support the growth of the industry within the six-year target period.

He said an opportunity had therefore been created through the District Assemblies and the District Agricultural Directorates for either individuals or groups to access the funds as loans for either the raising of seedlings, cultivation, processing or marketing of the crop. Dr. Karimu explained that beneficiaries of the loan are supposed to form a group of 10 members each for the production, between 10 and 15 members each for the processing while the marketing could be three to five persons.