A journey to improve cashew production in Burkina Faso

COOPAKE is a cooperative specialising in the production, processing and marketing of cashews and mangoes.

This training focused on the creation and management of nurseries, and the rehabilitation of unproductive cashew orchards. It took place over the course of three days. It aimed to equip producers with knowledge in order to improve their cashew yield.

The specific subjects in the training were:

• To strengthen the knowledge of producers on techniques for creating and maintaining cashew nurseries
• To strengthen producers' knowledge of cashew tree grafting techniques
• Hold a practical cashew tree grafting session using the different techniques
• Hold a practical session on the rehabilitation and maintenance of cashew orchards
• Set up, and make two mobile brigades for the rehabilitation of orchards operational

The participants were very enthusiastic and involved. They feel like they are now endowed with the knowledge needed for the creation and management of cashew nurseries. They also understand and have practised the various operations of rehabilitation of cashew yards. The participants will be considered model producers of COOPAKE in terms of endogenous practice and extension of techniques learned from other members of the cooperative. They will be assisted by COOPAKE technicians who have benefited from the training.

Adoption of this practice will make it possible in the years to come to have a bank of high-performance plant material and to improve the quality as well as the yield of cashew nuts produced per hectare.

OOPAKE is a cooperative specialising in the production, processing and marketing of cashews and mangoes.

This training focused on the creation and management of nurseries, and the rehabilitation of unproductive cashew orchards.

The training took place over the course of three days. It aimed to equip producers with knowledge in order to improve their cashew yield.

The specific subjects in the training were:

• To strengthen the knowledge of producers on techniques for creating and maintaining cashew nurseries
• To strengthen producers' knowledge of cashew tree grafting techniques
• Hold a practical cashew tree grafting session using the different techniques
• Hold a practical session on the rehabilitation and maintenance of cashew orchards
• Set up, and make two mobile brigades for the rehabilitation of orchards operational

The participants were very enthusiastic and involved. They feel like they are now endowed with the knowledge needed for the creation and management of cashew nurseries. They also understand and have practised the various operations of rehabilitation of cashew yards. The participants will be considered model producers of COOPAKE in terms of endogenous practice and extension of techniques learned from other members of the cooperative. They will be assisted by COOPAKE technicians who have benefited from the training.

Adoption of this practice will make it possible in the years to come to have a bank of high-performance plant material and to improve the quality as well as the yield of cashew nuts produced per hectare.