Mostly grown as a cash crop on marginal and degraded lands, the cashew has carved a special niche in the cropping systems of many Asian countries. Land that has been mostly found unsuitable or somewhat less favorable for other crops, has been successfully utilized for producing a highly preferred food commodity for international trade.
Eight major tree nuts of the world may be listed in the order of their importance in terms of production and consumption. These are almond, filbert, cashew, walnut, pecan, Brazil nut, pistachio and macadamia. Cashew, Brazil nut and macadamia are highly valued nut crops adapted to the tropics. The rest have different climatic requirements and are produced in the sub-tropics and temperate zones.
Cashew is grown to a sizable extent in Asia and appears to have a good potential for further development in this region. It presents a diversification option for arid, marginal and sloping areas, specifically for small farmers in such constrained environments. The cashew nut is an important ingredient in the snack food market as well as in the confectionery industry. Apart from this, its development is increasingly being regarded as a means of improving food security and nutrition in many countries. Besides being nutritious, it is low in perishability and highly marketable. Furthermore, the cashew tree could play a significant role in soil conservation by preventing soil erosion from wind and rain in environmentally vulnerable areas. The management of the crop also demands less time, labor and inputs as compared to other tree crops. Its potential, both agriculturally and economically, has yet to be fully realized since most national research systems of cashew growing countries have devoted much less effort on research and development for this crop. In addition, application of crop management practices and inputs have always been in favor of other crops, without fully realizing its true potential.
There is more or less a broad consensus among the cashew specialists in the region that the current performance of cashew growing enterprises is far below the inherent potential of the crop. Productivity levels reported from many countries leave much to be desired. There are wide disparities between actual yields obtained by the production sector and yields obtained by researchers and in extension demonstrations. The main reason attributed to this situation is the apparent neglect and low management levels applied to the crop. Crop husbandry practices are either absent or poorly applied. It has been demonstrated that good yields can be realized only from well managed plantations, although the crop can survive under marginal conditions. Another factor that contributes to better performance is the use of vegetatively propagated plants of high performance clones. Efforts are, therefore, needed to narrow the gap between actual yields and potential yields. I am confident that with the application of modern agro-techniques and use of superior germplasm, production and productivity can be substantially increased.
Inter-country cooperation could be very helpful in achieving this common goal. Strengthening cooperation among countries, institutions and individual scientists in production development activities is important. A forum like this will provide us the opportunity to interact and exchange our expertise, and explore the possibilities of sharing acquired knowledge on the crop for mutual benefit. It is in this context that this consultation has been convened.
