CUDDALORE: More than five lakh workers engaged in cashew industry in and around Panruti are on the brink due to the lockdown. Under severe financial stress, they want the State to waive off interest on loans and also provide compensation.
Cultivated over 26,000 hectares, 16 tonnes of cashews are produced annually, fetching a revenue of around Rs 200 crore. However, this year, production and processing have all come to a halt.
After Thane cyclone in 2011, hundreds of cashew trees were uprooted and farmers claim it took nearly seven years to catch up with global competition. Now, they have been dealt another blow as exports have stopped completely. Durai, a cashew farmer in Kadampuliyur said, “After Thane, the yield drastically reduced and it took me years to recover. I am somehow paying the 20 workers working for me now, but am not sure how long can I do so.”
Women workers are a more worried. Latha of Muthandikuppam said, “We are involved in breaking the nuts, removing the peel and packing it. After taking a loan from an SHG, I bought cashews for processing. Now, I wonder how I will be able to repay the loans. I request the government to help us.”
TRVS Ramesh, MP of Cuddalore constituency and a cashew businessmen said, “Cashews can get spoiled after five months. The government should consider loan interest waiver and provide compensation to workers. Meanwhile, I have written to the Chief Minister in this regard.”