The Hindu Business Line : 3,000 tonnes raw cashew damaged due to rains

While the cashew processors are worried over the continued summer rainfall as it is likely to hurt the prospects of the already harvested crop, the scientific community feels that this untimely rainfall will help in getting better yield for growers.

Many of the cashew-growing centres in Karnataka have been witnessing summer rainfall for the past one week to 10 days.

Mr K. Prakash Rao, President of the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers’ Association (KCMA), told Business Line that nearly 2,500-3,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts have been damaged in various harvesting and post-harvesting stages due to rainfall in Karnataka and Kerala.

“We hope that this rainfall will stop. If it continues, nearly 10,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts will be affected in Karnataka and Kerala,” he said.

The loads which are to be harvested have been heavily affected, and the process of drying of harvested crop is also affected, he said.

Mr B. Rahul Kamath, partner of the Karkala-based Bola Surendra Kamath & Sons, said that nearly 100-120 tonnes of raw cashew nuts suffer damage every day due to rainfall. Growers will not be in a position to harvest the crop due to water logging in cashew plantations.

The ripened cashew that falls on ground will absorb moisture damaging the crop.

GOOD YIELD

Dr T.R. Guruprasad, Associate Director of Research, Zonal Agricultural Research Station at Brahmavar in Udupi district, said that this untimely rainfall will help in getting good yield for growers.

The rainfall will help inflorescence of plants, as it will provide much-needed moisture for inflorescence for development of cashew nuts.

If moisture was not there, developing cashew nuts would have fallen. Flower and nut fall will come down because of moisture.

Stating that cashew plant bears two types of flowers (male and hermaphrodite), he said this untimely rainfall will lead to the falling of male flowers. (Male flowers do not set fruits.)

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