Cashew nut farming in plain land

Although much of the cashew nut consumed in the country is cultivated in the hilly areas, a few are showing that it can be grown in the plain land.

Cashew nut is a crop mainly grown in the hilly areas, but the item is now being commercially cultivated in the plain land of Jashore region.

Withing just a year or so, the pesticide-free cash crop is successfully cultivated in the plain land with the help of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

According to Chougachha Upazila Agriculture Office, they have successfully completed a project titled 'Plainland Cashew Nut Cultivation' recently and now encouraging local farmers to cultivate the cash crop commercially on a large scale.

Farmer Mahbubur Rahman Liton of Patibila village in Jashore's Chougachha upazila said farming of cashew nut is more profitable than the other crops.

The upazila agriculture office provided him 33 cashew nut trees free of cost about two years ago, he said, adding that currently almost all the trees either bearing flowers or fruits.

Liton said he is expecting five to six kilogrammes of nuts from each tree.

A number of buyers have already contacted him and express their desire to purchase the nuts at Tk 1000 per kg, he said.

He does not apply any additional fertilizers or pesticides in the cultivation, Liton further said.

Muktar Hossain, deputy assistant agriculture officer under Patibila Agricultural Block in Chougachha upazila, said usually cashew nut is a mountain crop.

In August 2021, two local farmers were given cashew nut trees under the project titled 'Cashew Nut and Coffee Cultivation in Plain Land.'

Chougachha Upazila Agriculture Officer Mubasvir Hussain said with the aim to cultivate the cash crop in plain land some local farmers were given cashew nut trees as an incentive.

As part of a plan to expand cashew nut farming in plain lands they are now encouraging farmers to cultivate the crop on a large scale, he added.