JEYPORE: The Odisha Cashew Processors Association has urged Union Minister of State for MSME Pratap Sarangi to announce a special package for the cashew industry, hit hard by the lockdown. Around 50 owners of cashew processing units from the State interacted with the Minister during a webinar on Friday. They said the lockdown has come as a severe jolt for the industry, which has been suffering huge losses for the last two years, due to an epidemic. Stressing the need for a special cashew marketing policy, they urged the Minister to revive the food processing units.
They appealed Sarangi to provide them interest free loans, relaxation on electricity, water tariffs and GST. The Minister said the Centre has been emphasising revamp of MSME industries across the country and assured to look into their demands. Around 1,20,000 cashew is produced by as many as 400 processing units in the State. General Secretary of Odisha Cashew Processors Association Monasis Panda said over 5 lakh workers, growers and processors have been hit hard by cash crisis and the lockdown across the country.