Nigerian cashew farmers announce huge 2015 profitSome cashew farmers on Sunday said they recordedhuge sales and made profits from cashew nuts duringthe 2015 cashew season.The National CashewAssociation of Nigeria, NCAN, told the News Agency ofNigeria on Sunday in Lagos that the current globalmarket trends showed an increase in demand forcashew.The association’s spokesperson, Sotonye Anga,said that this was due to Good Agricultural Practice andimprovement introduced to farmers in 2014.“We are gladto witness the prosperity of cashew farmers in Nigeria. Itgoes a great deal to show that NCAN is working and incollaboration with government and our developmentpartners.“The current global market trends show anincreasing and strong demand for cashew and Nigeriawill continue to deliver its quota and remain relevant inthe cashew world.“I therefore, urge our cashew farmers nationwide to beserious with the cashew business and be committed toGAP and quality improvement protocols so as to get thecash in cashew.“It is obvious that local cashew farmingand processing holds a great potential for nationaleconomic growth, development, employment creationand better income for farmers in rural areas,” hesaid.According to Mr. Anga, with little more steps tosupport the sub-sector by the Federal Government,cashew will soon become the number one cash crop inNigeria.He said, “We hope to do much more for thecashew sector and create more prosperity for our cashewfarmers, cashew processors, traders and exporters.’’Mr.Anga said that Africa produced over 50 per cent of theworld’s cashew and Nigeria was among the top threelargest cashew producers in Africa.He said about 400,000 hectares of land was being usedfor cashew production across the country.Mr. Anga,however, noted that Nigeria’s annual yield per hectarewas low because the nation’s current annual productionstood at 150,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts.He said theassociation was moving forward by rejuvenating cashewplantations and increasing the area of land under cashewproduction in Nigeria.He said the recent successes ofcashew farmers in some parts of Kogi State had furtherencouraged the association to continue its drive toempower cashew farmers nationwide.He said cashewfarmers were already clearing their farms for the 2016season.Some cashew farmers in Umoni Village, Ofu LocalGovernment Area in Kogi said on telephone that theywere happy with the development as their lives hadbecome better.A cashew farmer, Samuel Haruna, said hewas able to roof his family house with the sales herecorded from the 2015 cashew season.Mr. Haruna, whohad been in the cashew business for more than 20 years,said he never really made profit from selling raw cashewnuts as much as he made in 2015 season.“I was able to buy 14 bundles of roofing zinc to roof myfamily house. I have been involved in cashew farming for20years and I never had it this good.“This 2015 cashewseason was really good for me and for my people, Irealised good money from the sale of cashew.“Wecashew farmers from Umoni village are very happy; weare pleased with the activities of NCAN and all theefforts at improving cashew farmer’s livelihood.“This yearI made good money from my cashew farm for the firsttime. Not just me but other cashew farmers made goodmoney too,” he said.A 30-year-old cashew farmer, JoelThomas, said that he bought a jeep from the sale ofcashew recently.Another cashew farmer, also fromUmoni Village, Ibrahima Sule, said he bought a Toyotacar from the sale of cashew in 2015.A 35-year-old, IsaacIdanyi, said he was able to build a four-bedroom flatfrom the sale of cashew nuts.