The Puttur-based Directorate of Cashew Research has selected 30 people to encourage cashew cultivation in tribal areas. Under the tribal sub-plan of the 12th Plan, the directorate will provide grants up to ₹65,000 a hectare for the development of cashew orchards.

PS Bhat, Principal Scientist at the directorate, told Business Line that ₹65,000 grant will be extended over a period of three years. Tribal people will also be given 625 saplings by the directorate for a hectare of land, and assistance will be given for pit-making, planting, and soil and water conservation measures. They will also get inputs such as fertilizer, manure and plant protection chemicals among others.

Central grant MG Nayak, Principal Scientist at the directorate, said the Central Government has extended a grant of ₹1 crore to extend cashew cultivation in tribal areas in the next five years. Of this, ₹20 lakh is being given to 30 beneficiaries during the current year, he said.

Speaking at a programme to hand over the plants to beneficiaries in Puttur on Friday, PL Saroj, Director of the Directorate of Cashew Research, urged the beneficiaries to make use of the concessions to improve the productivity of their orchards.

Thulasi Maddineni, Chief Executive Officer of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat, who was the chief guest at the function, said those who have taken the benefit under the tribal sub-plan of the Central Government can make use of the national rural employment guarantee scheme to grow mixed crops in their plantations.

Added to this, they can also consider taking up bee-keeping activities in their areas. All these measures will help improve their income levels, she said.

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