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The Union Agriculture Ministry has approved the expansion of cashew cultivation in around 60,000 hectares across 13 States.
Speaking at the Foundation Day celebrations of the Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR) at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Monday, Venkatesh N Hubballi, Director of the Kochi-based Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development (DCCD), said the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has asked the officials to expand the area under cashew cultivation by 1.20 lakh hectares in the next three years.
Of this, the Union Agriculture Ministry has targetted the expansion of cashew crop on 60,000 hain the in the current year. Apart from the North-Eas States such as Tripura and Meghalaya, cashew cultivation will be expanded in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, he said.
The DCCD is spending around ₹50-60 crore every year on developing cashew cultivation, he said. In Karnataka it has developed cashew in Bidar, Shivamogga, Gadag and Mandya districts.
He said the domestic consumption of cashew is going up by 15-20 per cent every year and the sector provides jobs to around 15 lakh people.
Stressing the need for taking up the cultivation of high-yielding varieties of cashew, he said the country imports cashew nuts worth ₹7,800 crore.
To mark its foundation day celebrations, Hubballi said the DCCD will provide an assistance of ₹15 lakh for 2018-19, if DCR adopts a village for cashew development.
MG Nayak, Director (acting), DCR, highlighted the need for taking up ultra-high density cashew cultivation to boost farmers’ income.
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