ACA Creates New Training Program for Nigerian Farmers
The African Cashew Alliance has begun the first wave of its new farmer training program, with a Training of Trainers workshop held for 20 representatives of Nigerian cashew-farming regions. The workshop, held in Parakou, Benin, from September 26-27, 2014 was designed to ensure that the latest in good agricultural practices (GAP) reaches a wide farm-level audience.
The training covered key areas of GAP for the successful management and maintenance of cashew farms. Twenty farmer-trainers representing the Kogi, Kwara, and Oyo States of Nigeria participated in training sessions led by ACA's Agronomist, Mohamed Salifou, and received training materials to be used when sharing knowledge with their communities. Each trainer, upon returning to his or her respective village areas, will train at least 100 farmers, thus ensuring that at least 2000 farmers in total are trained.
Salifou explains, “Our research makes clear that some of the biggest challenges for farmers in harvesting high-quality nuts are poor practices of nut collection, drying, packaging, etc. This program of trainings is specifically designed to address these issues.”
The Training of Trainers session was organized with the assistance of Nigerian cashew processor and ACA member FoodPro, which identified cashew-producing areas in need of assistance to raise the output and quality of their cashew harvests, along with individuals appropriate to be trainers. The project is made possible through the support of the USAID TIME project.
The progress of the subsequent Nigerian farmer trainings will be jointly monitored by ACA and FoodPro, whose staff follow the implementation of training sessions on the ground. ACA will conduct field trip evaluations, as well as an additional training session covering harvest and post-harvest practices, in late November.
FoodPro Production Manager Azeez Ayodele observed, “As a major buyer of raw cashew in Nigeria, we have a very strong interest in raising the quality of harvested nuts here. So, of course, we are monitoring the implementation of these trainings very closely.”
The expected result will be a significant rise in the quality and output of Nigerian cashew nuts in Kogi, Kwara, and Oyo States. FoodPro, which purchases raw nuts for processing from all of these regions, will develop and implement a traceability standard that not only promotes best practices and information on cashew growing and post-harvest handling, but also creates market linkages between smallholder farmers and the international value chain.
The trainer-training project will continue in 2015 with further sessions covering control of disease and pests, and will then be rolled out to more cashew-producing countries across Africa, beginning with Benin and Côte d’Ivoire in 2015.
