Cashew cultivation now has Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning

One of the most traditional agricultural crops in Brazil, the cashew tree begins this month to count on Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (Zarc). To the ordinances with the zoning of culture in several states were published in the Official Gazette of the Union this Thursday (17/12).

The new tool allows the indication of planting dates and periods by municipality. The analysis takes into account climate characteristics, soil type and the cultivar’s development cycle. The objective is to prevent climatic adversities from coinciding with the most sensitive phases of production, minimizing agricultural losses.

As a result of this work, Zarc identified the municipalities suitable for cashew cultivation in Brazil and the periods for planting seedlings in the field, at three risk levels (20%, 30% and 40%) and in accordance with the type of crop. soil (Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3) for the 2021/2022 crop year.

According to Marlos Bezerra, deputy head of Technology Transfer (TT) at Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical (Fortaleza-CE) and coordinator of Zarc Caju, the methodology used was the same for other crops. The parameters, however, have changed. “For the first time, we used a standard methodology to identify regions suitable for cashew cultivation, demonstrating the possibility of cultivation in new areas, such as in the states of Mato Grosso and Tocantins. There are already people producing in these areas, but with Zarc this activity now has technical-scientific validation”, he explains.

He adds: “Zarc establishes the ideal dates for taking the seedlings to the field. This even applies to new areas. All of this is based on a 35-year record of climate data. In this process, we use more than 3,5 meteorological stations across the country.”

Participation and benefits

The development of Zarc included the participation of technicians and producers from all over Brazil. Due to the limitations imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, the meetings took place remotely. For Josenilto Vasconcelos, a cashew and cashew producer in the municipality of Parnaíba (PI), agricultural zoning is important because "it adjusts information according to the reality of each region, improving decision-making and validating it before credit institutions and agricultural policies".

Elano Gomes, president of the Technical Chamber of Cashew Culture of Rio Grande do Norte, highlights the importance of zoning for farmers in the state. "I had the opportunity to participate in an online meeting. Many municipalities were excluded from agricultural financing programs because they were not zoned. Zarc gives cashew farmers security that they did not have, especially when it comes to land preparation and planting."

Nurseryman Edmundo Alves da Silva sells dwarf cashew seedlings from Ceará to producers throughout the Northeast Region. Knowing which periods of the year are most suitable for planting, in each producing state, is essential in your activity. "Zoning is extremely important for cashew cultivation, as it guides or encourages the beginning of the crop's implementation and allows us to carry out better management planning, especially with regard to losses of inputs such as seedlings, seeds and fertilizer" .

Cashew farming challenges

Cashew culture is exploited by approximately 170 thousand producers, on more than 53 thousand properties, of which 70% are small farmers with areas of less than 20 hectares. It is estimated that the activity generates around 250 thousand direct and indirect jobs. In the Northeast Region, its importance is even greater, as the demand for labor for harvesting coincides with the off-season period for annual subsistence crops, that is, the second half of the year.

Over the last ten years, Brazilian annual cashew production has declined at a rate of 4,96%. Between 2012 and 2018, there was a reduction in the harvested area of ​​around 20%, due to water deficiency caused by a historic drought in the Northeast.

According to Embrapa's technical note for preparing the zoning, low-productivity orchards must be replaced and abandoned spaces can be recovered. “There must be selection of areas with greater suitability for the crop, as well as the planting of quality genetic material of dwarf cashew trees, using adequate soil and plant management, so that the new orchards present good productivity and can provide the best whole fruit”, says the note.

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Farmers who follow Zarc's recommendations are less subject to climate risks and may benefit from the Agricultural Activity Guarantee Program (Proagro) and the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR). Many financial agents only allow access to rural credit for crops in zoned areas and for planting cultivars indicated in zoning ordinances.