Farmers in Bandarban district have invested in coffee and cashew nut cultivation due to favourable weather and high profitability of these crops.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), currently, cashew nuts are cultivated on 2,650 hectares and coffee on 850 hectares of land in Bandarban.
Due to the region’s fertile soil and hilly terrain, yields are increasing every year.
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MM Shah Newaz, deputy director of DAE, said that since 2021, a project titled "Cashew and Coffee Research, Expansion, and Production Enhancement" has been in operation to promote coffee and cashew farming among farmers.
Under this five-year project, a total of 1,666 demonstration plots for cashew nuts and 1,469 for coffee have been established.
Besides, 7,470 farmers have received training in 249 batches to improve their technical and technological skills.
A private cashew processing industry, Kishan Ghar Agro Limited, has been established in Balaghata in Bandarban.
Meanwhile, a coffee and cashew processing center has been set up at the Horticulture Center in Bandarban under the Year-Round Fruit Production for Nutrition Development Project, which created employment opportunities for over a hundred men and women.
With the increasing production of cashews and coffee in the district, entrepreneurs have established collection and storage centers in various upazilas.
“The high-yielding Vietnamese M23 cashew varieties and Arabica-Robusta coffee seedlings have been distributed to farmers. Grafted saplings have also been provided to project-affiliated farmers based on demand,” said Shah Newaz.
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Some demonstration plots have been equipped with drip irrigation systems to facilitate watering. These initiatives have led to an increase in cashew cultivation on previously fallow land, while new coffee plantations have emerged under the shade of mango and jackfruit orchards, he said.
As the cultivation of cashew nuts has been proved to be profitable, the tobacco farmers are now shifting towards cashew cultivation.
Liton Debnath, Deputy Director of the Bandarban Horticulture Center, said that free sapling distribution under the project has contributed to increased coffee and cashew production.
Per kg of cashew nuts is being sold at Tk 6000 per maund which was Tk 4,000 per maund, he said.
Chaching Marma, Assistant Horticulture Officer at the Bandarban Horticulture Center, said trained farmers are now voluntarily taking up coffee and cashew cultivation. With a functioning processing facility at the Horticulture Center, farmers can sell cashew nuts and coffee beans at fair prices.
Ruby Akhter, an employee at the cashew factory, shared that she works part-time at the factory while continuing her studies. Her earnings help cover her educational expenses and contribute to her family's needs.
Saiful Islam, Manager of Kishangarh Factory, said that new research is being conducted on expanding cashew cultivation and processing using domestic technology.
He added that all workers involved in this promising industry are playing a crucial role in increasing production.
Asma Akhter, a female worker at the cashew factory, said that her family’s livelihood depends on her job at the factory.
Ching Sa Mong, Chain Manager of Kishangarh Factory, revealed that he earlier worked at a tobacco company but switched to the cashew factory due to better opportunities.
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With the factory in operation, local women have gained employment opportunities, he added.
He also noted that grassroots plantation owners receive fair prices for their cashew sales, while entrepreneurs directly purchase coffee and cashews in bulk from farms. In some cases, wholesalers even provide advance payments to farmers for their crops.