Pj. Martin et al., CASHEW NUT PRODUCTION IN TANZANIA - CONSTRAINTS AND PROGRESS THROUGH INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT, Crop protection, 16(1), 1997, pp. 5-14
Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is the fourth most valuable Tanzani
an export crop after coffee, cotton and tea. Following a steady increa
se in production from the middle of this century, there was a dramatic
decline from 145,000 t in 1973 to 16,500 t in 1986. This was caused b
y a complex of socio-economic (low producer prices, inefficient market
ing, villagisation) and biological factors (cashew powdery mildew dise
ase, low tree yields, overcrowding of trees). Recently, higher cashew
prices and liberalised marketing have created favourable conditions th
at have encouraged farmers to tackle several of the biological constra
ints on production. As a result, cashew production has risen steadily
from 16,500 t in 1986 to 70,320 t in 1994. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier
Science Ltd.