Notes to broadcasters
In Senegal, the first cashew plantations date back to the colonial period, when they were cultivated to diversify the rural diet. Since independence, the Senegalese government has promoted the cashew tree through the department of agriculture and rural development with the aim of fighting bush fires and soil erosion. In addition to protecting the environment, cashew plantations have economic benefits. Thanks to the support of the Senegalese-German Cashew Project, the economic aspect became a reality in the 1970s in the Sokone area.
Cashew nut cultivation also contributes to the conservation of natural resources and the protection of biodiversity.
In this radio script, three farmers will share their experiences on using cashew trees as a defense against bush fires. They will be followed by a Colonel and a Lieutenant in the Water and Forestry Sector, both specialists in the field, for further clarification.
To produce a similar program on cashew tree plantations as a strategy against bushfires, you can use this script as a guide. If you choose to present it as part of your farmer program, you may want to use voice actors to represent the different speakers. If so, please make sure to tell your audience at the beginning of the program that the voices are those of actors or actresses, not the actual participants.
If you want to create your own programs about cashew plantations, talk to farmers who have experienced it and experts in the field. Among other questions, you might ask them:
- What makes the cashew tree special?
- What damage can bush fires do?
- How do cashew trees protect farmers from bush fires?
- What are the other benefits of planting cashew trees?
Estimated duration of the radio script with music, intro and extro: 15-20 minutes.
Script
HOST:
Hello, dear listeners, today we are going to talk about cashew nut plantations as a defense against bush fires. To discuss this, we have with us Souleymane Diao, Boubacar Seydi, and Elias Diouf, all farmers. And also Djibril Ba, accompanied by Mady Racine Sagna, respectively Colonel and Lieutenant in the Water and Forestry Sector.
Now let’s get to the heart of the matter. Colonel Djibril Ba, what are the major events that contributed to the development of the cashew nut industry in Senegal?
COLONEL DJIBRIL BA:
There are three basic factors. First, the massive immigration of Bissau-Guineans fleeing the liberation struggles of their country from 1970 to 1974. These people contributed to the widespread popularization of cashew nut cultivation in Ziguinchor and Kolda.
The second factor is the arrival of exporters from Guinea-Bissau, who entered Senegal in the 1990s. They purchased more than 95% of cashew production and influenced the entire marketing system for cashew products. They also introduced a variety of new actors into the sector, such as collectors, traders, and land and sea transporters.
Finally, there were initiatives by international donors. These projects improved cashew processing by installing small-scale on-farm artisanal units.
HOST:
In general, bush fires do not spare plantations. Lieutenant Mady Racine Sagna, what are the potential damages that bushfires can cause at the socio-economic level?
LIEUTENANT MADY SAGNA:
First of all, there is the loss of arable land, livestock, and fruit trees. There is also the loss of plants and grass that can be used as food for livestock during the dry season. Losses can also occur in agricultural production of crops such as groundnuts, millet, and others. Bushfires may cause animals to migrate to other areas.
Economically, there is a decline in forest production and yields.
HOST:
How can cashew plantation benefit farmers?
LIEUTENANT MADY SAGNA:
Cashew nut planting benefits farmers because of the microclimate that the plantation creates. It improves farmers’ yields of crops such as cashew apple, cashew nut, and cashew wine, not to mention the revenue.
HOST:
Colonel Djibril Ba, what are the characteristics of cashew as a species that protects against bushfires?
COLONEL DJIBRIL BA:
Very little vegetation grows under cashew trees. The major benefit with using cashew trees as a defense against bushfires is that we do not need to maintain a firewall. Experience has shown that once the fire starts, the tree is damaged but does not die, unlike other species. At its feet, there is always life. And when the rainy season starts, the tree springs back to life thanks to its roots, which are fairly deep.
HOST:
Lieutenant Mady Racine Sagna, in addition to protection against bush fires, what other benefits can be derived from planting cashew trees?
LIEUTENANT MADY SAGNA:
It has several other advantages. Its branches must be pruned regularly. The cut wood is used as firewood and makes very good charcoal. From its fruits, we get the much-appreciated cashew nut and the cashew apple from which we can obtain juice, syrup, and jam.
The cashew tree has several special characteristics. It grows both in the wild and as a cultivated plant up to a thousand metres in altitude. The leaves are oily and do not easily burn. The density of the canopy prevent light from filtering underneath. The lack of vegetation under the tree removes potential fuel from the fire’s path.
Cashew trees need well-drained, rich soils with a good water supply for the best yields. They can grow 15 metres high when mature. Cashew trees often grows in windy places. This is one reason why they are often used as a windbreak.
HOST:
Some farmers have tested the cashew tree’s usefulness as protection against bush fires. This is the case of Elias Diouf. He has been working on this for several decades in Sokone, located in the Sine-Saloum region of western Senegal. Let’s listen.
ELIAS DIOUF:
I learned about the cashew tree’s ability to resist bush fires during a project in 1981. Since then, I have planted cashew trees all around my orchards to protect the other fruit trees in the orchards, such as mango and orange trees. And the bush fires have never reached the interior of my plantations. We just have a slowdown in cashew production because we have to wait for the tree to regenerate before we can produce again.
HOST:
What type of soil boosts cashew growth the most?
COLONEL DJIBRIL BA:
The Dior soil allows the tree to grow the fastest. This type of soil is sandy and silty.
HOST:
What are the different types of cashew plantations?
COLONEL DJIBRIL BA:
There is the state plantation, the community plantation, and the individual plantation.
HOST:
What are the different types of management related to these cashew plantations?
COLONEL DJIBRIL BA:
There are roadside plantations that can serve as living firewalls, and hedge plantations that can serve as windbreaks and firewalls. And there are also plantations where cashew trees are part of an agroforestry system and provide nutrients such as nitrogen to the soil.
HOST:
We will also interview two other farmers who are active in the cashew industry. These are Souleymane Diao from the Department of Vélingara in the Kolda Region and Boubacar Seydi, a farmer and breeder in the Ziguinchor Region. Gentlemen, how long have you been involved in cashew planting?
SOULEYMANE DIAO:
I have been working in the cashew sector since 2018.
HOST:
And you, Mr. Boubacar Seydi?
BOUBACAR SEYDI:
I have been in the sector since 1985.
HOST:
So how do you start a cashew plantation?
BOUBACAR SEYDI:
It consists of several stages. First, you have to prepare the land. Then, proceed to select the seeds to be planted. And finally, make a nursery or sow the seed directly in the ground.
HOST:
How long would it take for the seedling to mature?
BOUBACAR SEYDI:
The plantation will be mature after three years of good monitoring and good agricultural practices, such as an adequate water supply and good varieties. In an area where the tree has sun and space, it produces better and longer.
HOST:
Did you know before that cashew plantations could be a solution to bush fires?
SOULEYMANE DIAO:
No, I never knew that. I think that this strategy should be continued.
BOUBACAR SEYDI:
In addition to the economic aspect, the environmental aspect is no less important. Experience has shown us that cashew tree plantations help fight bush fires with the firebreak system. The trees also provide shade.
HOST:
What does the cashew industry contribute to your daily life?
SOULEYMANE DIAO:
It is very important in many ways. We can eat the cashew apple or process it into jam or juice, and sell the nut.
HOST:
What is the annual yield of a plantation?
SOULEYMANE DIAO:
One hectare of a cashew plantation can generate up to one million three hundred thousand CFA francs ($2,070 US) per year.
BOUBACAR SEYDI:
With the modernization of farms and the integration of new varieties, it is possible to obtain a yield of 1,000 to 1,500 kilograms per hectare. Indeed, the more space and sunlight the tree has, the better it produces. With experience, we have found that linear plantings are more satisfactory than random plantings. Linear plantings plant in straight lines, better protect the soil, and allow for complementary activities such as sustainable agriculture or agroforestry. In linear plantations, there is some spacing between seedlings. In random plantations, there are no spacing standards. No monitoring is done and no maintenance; the plantation is left at the mercy of nature.
HOST:
Let’s remember that cashew plantations are an effective protection against bush fires. This is because of the texture and specificity of the plant. Thanks to its regenerative capacity and its resistance to fire, the plant is both a firewall and a windbreak. Additionally, the cashew industry is indeed a financial niche. The cashew nut and cashew apple can be processed to add value to the cashew industry.
This program was produced with the participation of Colonel Djibril Ba and Lieutenant Mady Racine Sagna of the Water and Forestry Sector. Also on the panel were Souleymane Diao, Boubacar Seydi, and Elias Diouf, all farmers who shared their experiences with us. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to them. To our dear listeners, we hope to be here next time for a new program. Take care!
Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Amy Keita, journalist, Dakar, Senegal
Reviewed by: Mady Racine Sagna, Lieutenant Assistant to the Head of the Water and Forestry Sector of Bignona
Interviews:
Djibril Ba, Colonel of Water and Forestry. Interview conducted on December 30, 2021.
Mady Racine Sagna, Lieutenant Assistant to the Head of the Water and Forestry Sector of Bignona. Interview conducted on February 3, 2022.
Souleymane Diao, farmer in Vélingara, Kolda region. Interview conducted on November 3, 2021.
Boubacar Seydi, farmer/breeder in Casamance. Interview conducted on February 1, 2022.
Elias Diouf, farmer in Sokone. Interview conducted on May 20, 2022.
This resource was produced with the financial support of the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
