THENI: Tamil Nadu Cashew Board has been announced for increasing cashew production, industries, and export in the budget. Farmers said it would increase production furthermore.
Cashew is predominantly cultivated in Varsandu and a few areas near Cumbum in the district, to an extent of around 8,000 acres of land. The government proposed to increase production and assist industries to establish the board at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
Speaking to TNIE, a cashew farmer in Varusanadu, V Pandi said, "The selling price for raw cashew to industries is Rs 70 per kg. However, after value addition as cashew nuts, industries are selling it at a cost of Rs 900 per kg."
"The government needs to fix a minimum support price for cashews. If farmers sold 10 quintal, they would get a net profit of Rs 30,000. If the department gives training and machinery at subsidised rates, farmers can do the value addition by forming groups, and make more profit," he said.
He further said that in order to increase the production of cashew, they required a solar pumpset with subsidy, and presently most farmers depend on rain water.
Getting loans is a big challenge, says a cashew industry proprietor R Sekar. He listed the challenges faced by industries, and said, "On a regular basis, industries purchase 500 kg of raw cashew from farmers. After processing, we obtain 20 varieties of quality cashew nuts, and export it to various districts in the state and sometimes other states. Converting cashew to value added products involves machineries and labour cost among others. Middle men intervention also plays a major role. The creation of Tamil Nadu Cashew Board might address the challenges in getting funds, prevent middlemen and increase exports," he added.