Cashew plantations, beekeeping and a new livelihood

by Samantha Mensah, ACi

ACi trained farmers have discovered a new way to increase their income.

With working to increase farmer income within the cashew sectors of its 5 project countries, remaining one of the key aims of the African Cashew initiative, recognition of a new, lucrative venture for cashew farmers is exciting and promising.

For a growing number of entrepreneurial farmers in Benin and Ghana, keeping bees on their cashew plantations has proved to be a welcome source of substantial additional income.

A beekeeper inspects his honeycomb

Upon conducting a study commissioned by ACi, Dr. Kwaku Aidoo, a beekeeping specialist from the Agricultural department of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, met two cashew farmers who have benefitted from beekeeping and serve as great examples of how valuable this activity can be.

After earning USD 2,200 by successfully harvesting 41,600kg of raw cashew nuts at a selling price of USD 0.53 per kilogram, Ghanaian cashew farmer Mr. Kwesi Owusu, 48, added USD 5,960 to his income through beekeeping in 2011 and 2012.

With 75 bee colonies on his 5.2 ha farm and 55 in a neighbour’s farm, Mr. Owusu realized the potential in honey production and harvested 1,012.50 liters from all hives at a unit price of USD 5.90.  Beekeeping further allowed him to profit from beeswax production, from which he earned USD143 from 48kg kilos of beeswax. 

A female cashew farmer increases yield through beekeeping

Mr. Owusu’s success with beekeeping is not an isolated incident. This entrepreneurial spirit and the potential of beekeeping to facilitate improved income for cashew farmers, is also reflected by the story of Beninese farmer Mr. Theophile Akpo.  By harvesting 500kg of cashew nuts from his 2ha farm and selling at USD 0.70 per kilo he earned USD 350. Selling honey from 60 hives at USD 3.59 per liter, added an extra USD 1,800 to his income.

With such success stories in mind, the ACi continues to encourage cashew farmers to continue with or initiate beekeeping activities on their plantations. As this grows and becomes more readily implemented, ACi believes that this will be a sustainable way through which African cashew farmers will strengthen their livelihoods.  ACi continues to make a strong effort to support and raise awareness of the potential held within beekeeping amongst farmers.