Tk 212cr project to expand cashew, coffee cultivation
The government has undertaken a project to introduce new varieties of cashew nuts and coffee while introducing modern technology and research to develop and expand their cultivation.
The project aims to increase cashew and coffee cultivation from the existing 2,000 hectares to a combined 6,000 hectares in order to increase production by 50 per cent.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) endorsed the initiative, "Cashew nut, coffee research, development and expansion", involving Tk 211.84 crore.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), a wing of the Ministry of Agriculture, will implement the project between July 2020 and June 2025.
Under the project, high yielding varieties of cashew and coffee will be developed. This will have a positive impact on the livelihoods of farmers in hill areas as these two cash crops can be grown on unused land with low investment.
According to project documents, the government also plans to increase the country's export earnings with these two products after meeting local demand.
The initiative will help reduce poverty and provide nutrition as well.
During the implementation period, the DAE will organise a total of 5,250 exhibitions on cashew nut cultivation and 5,250 exhibitions for coffee.
It will also provide training to 49,500 farmers and 480 officials of the department. This includes foreign training and exposure visits for DAE employees and scientists.
The farmers will be provided 1,350 coffee processing sets while a total of 500 solar irrigation units will be set up in hilly areas.
Besides, an office building will be constructed at Kaptai Horticulture Centre in Rangamati.
In addition, a modern field lab will be set up at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute in Khagrachhari.
CASHEW NUT PLANT AT BANGABANDHU SHILPA NAGAR
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Steel Re-Rolling Mills, a leading steel maker in the country, will invest Tk 50 crore to set up a cashew nut processing plant at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar, a move that will boost the local economy and encourage farmers.
With people becoming more and more health conscious, cashew nut cultivation has increased in line with growing demand in local markets.
Three hill districts -- Bandarban, Rangamati, and Khagrachhari -- hold the highest potential for cashew nut cultivation in Bangladesh.
Most farmers in these areas are already growing the plant on a limited scale. However, growers in Bandarban have begun commercial farming to meet the increased demand.
According to the DAE office in Bandarban, cashew nuts were cultivated on around 1,797 hectares of land last year while about 1,323 tonnes of cashews were produced in Bandarban.
Now, the farmers of the district's Ruma and Thanchi upazilas are cultivating cashew nuts on a massive scale as demand is growing and seems more profitable than other fruit cultivation.
Besides, cashew nuts are not perishable and easy to carry to the market. Currently, a total of 1,600 farmers in the district are involved in cashew nut cultivation.
The DAE provides training on proper cultivation methods for better harvesting and quality output.
The Ecnec also approved a project involving Tk 448.37 crore to help people establish family gardens for nutrition on unused land and home estates.