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The decline of cashew nut production in Goa, which offers better quality nuts with taste and size, has put many cashew processing units in a disarray.
Trade sources said rising production costs have forced many units to down operations. The number of cashew processing units in the State has declined to 17 from 45.
Rohit Zantye, president of Goa Cashew Manufacturers Association and partner of Zantye Cashews, blamed the falling production to rapid urbanisation, which led to a decline in farming activity, the younger generation moving out of agriculture to other salaried jobs, EL Nino, and damage from unseasonal rains during the flowering period.
The government agency pegged cashew production at 28,000 tonnes per year, but the actual figure is much less, at nearly 50 per cent of the government estimate. This is because a majority of the cashew trees are old and there has been no replanting for newer trees. Production has become expensive due to rising costs, Zantye told businessline.
Feni production hit
The crop shortage has forced even the thriving feni (liquor made from cashew apples) industry in Goa to depend on other states for the raw material. Mac Vaz, founder-president of Cashew Feni Distillers & Bottlers Association, said the rising demand for feni and the shortage of cashew, coupled with the younger generation’s reluctance to continue in the traditional family business, has forced some manufacturers to depend on fruit from bordering Maharashtra.
The industry is facing a situation where demand exceeds supply. Moreover, some manufacturers are also using cheaper extra-neutral alcohol in place of spirit distilled from cashew apple, he alleged.
He was, however, all praise for the initiative by Deviya Rane, MLA and chairperson of Goa Forest Development Corporation, to promote cashew cultivation and protect the interest of stakeholders.
Reviving orchards
According to G Giridhar Prabhu, chairman of Mangaluru-based Achal Group, cashew crop has declined by 25 per cent in south Goa. He highlighted the distinctive flavour and taste of Goan-origin cashew, which families harvest from their orchards and carefully convert the apples into feni.
Goa could double its current crop through rejuvenation of cashew orchards not only in the State but also in other parts of the country. Efforts are also on by governments to improve the crops, he added.
J Rajmohan Pillai, chairman of Beta Group, which owns NutKing brand, said the problems of the Goa cashew industry were similar to those faced in Kerala — competition from cheaper imported cashews, declining area of cultivation, stem borer infestation, high cost of production, price fluctuation, and lack of modernisation, among others.
He suggested value addition, promotion and branding, export promotion, skill development, and formation of cooperatives to revitalise the sector in Goa.
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