Home ›› 21 Nov 2022 ›› Editorial
Rakhi Mrong of Bandarban has cultivated cashew nuts on land near her house. She, her husband, and her sons all tend the garden. Rakhi said, "Long ago, my father brought these seeds from Myanmar and plough them. We did not realize back then that it is such a valuable and nutritious food. Now we understand its importance. In the last three years, we have eradicated our poverty by cultivating cashew nuts. Others are also cultivating it now, inspired by seeing us. If we manage to get loans from the government and some more land, we think we'll be increasing its cultivation."
Rakhi is right. Many people are now getting interested in cashew nut cultivation. A hopeful fact is that the government is working on this, and the Department of Agricultural Extension has taken various initiatives to increase its cultivation.
Cashew nuts are generally suitable for heart problems. It acts as an antioxidant and lowers cholesterol. It also eliminates constipation and acts as an anti-cancer food. It is rich in magnesium and calcium. It prevents osteoporosis and hair loss. It reduces migraines as well.
History says that the origin of cashews is Kollam, which is based in the eponymous city of Brazil. Since 1930, Kollam began to be known as the Cashew Capital of the World. About 800,000 tonnes of cashews are exported from here to different countries of the world every year. In 2011, 600 cashew processing units were established here.
It is known that India first bought cashews from the Portuguese. Different provinces in India produce the most cashew nuts globally, but Vietnam is the world's largest exporter of cashew nuts. This is because cashew nuts must be processed and made suitable for consumption no matter where they are produced. This technology or processing system is widespread in Vietnam. Typically, Vietnam collects raw cashew nuts or kernels from various countries worldwide. Countries send their kernels to Vietnam and collect them after thoroughly processing them in Vietnam. For this reason, Vietnam occupies the top spot in cashew exports.
There are different varieties of cashews. The W180 variety is called the "King of Cashews." Besides, there are W210, W320, Jumbu, and W240. Tanzanian cashews are the best in terms of quality.
The history of cashew in Bangladesh is similar to that of coffee. The indigenous people living in the hill tracts of Bangladesh have played an essential role. During the construction of the dam on the Karnaphuli river, many tribals faced various problems. As they settled and made their homes in different parts of the hills, they found that the soil was eroding and causing problems. Then they started planting different types of trees. In the past, they used to travel to Myanmar or to foreign countries close to those areas. They used to bring various items from Thailand there. Around 1961–1962, the tribals brought Thai cashew nut seeds from Myanmar and planted them around their homes. They did not know then that these were delicious cashew nuts or had a rich nutritional value.
Cashew nuts are a member of the mango family. It resembles a mango tree, and its fruit hangs like a mango. That is why the natives called it Tam. They found that this plant works against soil erosion. So they started planting it around their houses. There are two types of things in the cashew nut tree. One is the fruit, the other is called the kernel. The fruit is usually apple-like and of a pale pink color. It is juicy inside. It is slightly fragrant. Its juice feels mildly intoxicating, and when consumed raw, it triggers itchiness in the mouth and throat like eating taro root also does. The native people liked to eat this fruit because it felt like intoxication. Juice, wine, and beer are made from this fruit abroad. The kernel has a shell outside and flesh inside. which cannot be eaten. It would become a tree if they threw it away on the soil. This shell is known as raw cashew or cashew seed. After processing it in the machine, it becomes edible as a cashew nut.
Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board and the Department of Agricultural Extension started planting cashew seeds in the seventies after seeing cashew trees in the hills. Then due to various problems regarding its cultivation, market management, and processing, cashew nut cultivation was disrupted. Ten years ago, the traders secretly collected these seeds from hilly areas. Some suppliers buy these from traders and send them to neighboring countries. There, they were processed and made edible. In this way, many people in Bangladesh got involved in the cashew business.
The local people eat the young leaves of the cashew nut mashed as "bhorta," which helps to cure various types of stomach diseases. Its roots are perfect for treating dysentery. Lubricating oil is made from its shell, and it is also used as fuel. Some cashews are broken and ground to form milk and biscuits during cashew processing. In Bangladesh, S. Alam and the Abul Khair Group are attempting to work on this.
In 2019, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Abdur Razzaq, was present at the traditional festival of Bomang kings. At that time, a presentation was made by the Department of Agricultural Extension on the potential of cashew nut cultivation in the three hill areas. In this way, the issue was brought to the government's attention. The marketing of cashew nuts has started there for the last three to four years. A research project was also launched. Then a nationwide 3-year project was started.
Cashews are generally best grown in red soils, areas that do not receive rainfall, or areas that experience drought. Cashew nuts are cultivated in 19 districts, including Tangail, Moulvibazar, Nilphamari, Khagrachari, and Rangamati. Reportedly, the government will prioritize the hilly areas because cashews grow better in the mountains. Good-quality cashews are grown in mountainous environments. Cashews are also found on the plains. But the yield is low. Although cashew material is brought in from Cambodia, Vietnam, and India, cashews have been planted here from seeds for the past few years. That said, Bangladeshi cashews are more delicious than those from Vietnam and India.
Now there are 14 cashew processing factories in the country. Even so, some raw cashews are shipped abroad and processed before being returned to the country. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, 1400 metric tons of cashews were produced in the country last year, although we can process 10,000 metric tons of cashews. 90% of the cashews are produced in Bandarban. There is a cashew processing factory called Kishangarh.
14.74 percent of GDP has added annually from the agriculture sector in the country. Cashews can be a significant crop in this aspect. Its potential is vast. Cashew nut demand in the country is increasing daily. Due to the various health aspects of cashew and their immunity boosting properties, their use in the country has increased manifold since the Covid-19 pandemic. So the local demand is huge. As the country's climate and soil are suitable for cashew production, the government is giving considerable importance to cashew production and taking various steps for its expansion. So cashew can now be a new source of foreign exchange earnings. Jobs in the cashew nut sector can help eliminate unemployment and employ many people who are currently unemployed.
Vietnam earns $4 billion yearly from cashew nut exports, and India makes nearly $1.5 billion. We can also grow cashew here extensively, and it can employ a lot of people.
The government is trying to expand the land used for cashew plantations. Cashew is being produced not only in the hills but also on the plains, and various measures should be taken to increase the production in the plains. In this situation, entrepreneurs should be produced. In this approach, farmers should be supported. They should be granted loans if necessary. A cashew market should be established internationally in addition to the domestic market. Then it will be much easier to meet the needs of the country and export to abord.
Bangladesh still imports cashews worth Tk 200–300 crore every year. This must be stopped. Only the kind of cashews in high demand in the country should be cultivated here, and through processing, they should be delivered to the people. In this way, the export of foreign cashew nuts should be stopped. So there will be a demand for cashew nuts in the country, and the government will save money. Besides, locally produced cashew nuts or seeds should be used here. The production of other food products made from cashew nuts should also be increased.
Demand for cashew nuts is unlikely to decline. As people become aware, its use will increase. That is why the desired success will be achieved if the government and private sectors pay attention to this issue.
The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com
