Urging the cashew-growing states in the country to focus their attention on increasing the production and productivity of cashew, the Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development (DCCD) has lauded the efforts of Odisha government in more areas under cashew crop in that state.

Speaking at a digital seminar on ‘Making Karnataka the cashew hub of India’, organised by the Mangaluru chapter of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), Venkatesh N Hubballi, Director of DCCD, said Odisha is bringing around 10,000 hectares of area under cashew crop every year.

Odisha has covered around 20,000 ha this year alone, though this is the most critical year to cover due to pandemic. It has distributed around 40 lakh cashew saplings under MNREGA and RKVY, and other state sector schemes as well as under private development.

Observing cashew cultivation in Karnataka and other states, he said the cultivation of cashew is secondary in nature for many, except for a few farmers who are less than 5 per cent in numbers.

He said there is a lack of focussed attention by the Karnataka government for the cashew sector. DCCD formulates the programmes and gives the guidelines, he said, adding that the State governments should provide focussed attention for the crop.

K Prakash Rao, Chairman of the Mangaluru chapter of CII, said that Karnataka has around

350 cashew processing units in six districts, and a majority of them are in the MSME sector.

Giving an overview of the development of the cashew sector in the state, he said the cashew processing capacity, which stood at around 50,000 tonnes during the 90s, has increased to 2.5 lakh tonnes now.

Stressing the need to bring more areas under cashew cultivation, he said the production has grown from 35,000 tonnes in the 90s to 70,000 tonnes now. This needs to be increased, he said.

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