Assessment of Cashew Cultivation Practices in the South-East, North-West and North-East of Benin

In Benin, cashew farmers adopt various practices based on their socioeconomic characteristics and available opportunities. The objective of the study was to evaluate cashew production systems in Benin. A participatory and inclusive approach was employed to collect data, combining focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI). A total of 32 focus group discussions were conducted, and 257 farmers were individually surveyed. The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and percentages). A one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), based on Fisher's F-statistic, was performed to identify differences between means. Additionally, the Cobb-Douglas logarithmic function was used to determine yields and the factors influencing farming practices. The results revealed that most cashew farmers were men (84.92 % in Ketou, 81.74 % in Bassila, and 89.5 % in Kouande), with an average age old of 50 years in Kouande, 45 years in Bassila, and 48 years in Ketou, and farming experience ranging from 15 to 30 years. Farming practices varied depending on local specificities and available resources in the studied areas. However, limited access to agricultural financing remains a major constraint to adopting good agricultural practices for cashew cultivation. Furthermore, farmers’ lack of knowledge about cashew accessions and their coexistence within the same plantation are significant obstacles to improving production. Finally, cashew production and farming system adoption depend on factors such as market access, technical and financial support, farmers’ education level, and land availability.