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To face overseas competition, the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India has urged the government to approve the 12th Plan scheme proposals for modernisation of the industry.
The Council had submitted various proposals to the Union Agriculture Ministry, which is awaiting approval. They include process mechanisation and automation of cashew processing units, quality upgradation and food safety certifications, generic promotion of Indian cashews overseas.
Plea to govt
Addressing the 57th annual general meeting, Hari Krishnan R. Nair, chairman, said that the Council had also requested the government to include cashew among the eligible items in the new Status Holders Incentive Scrip (SHIS) scheme to withstand competition.
In the new scheme, he said, status holders in labour intensive sectors are eligible to use this scrip to import capital goods for upgradation of technology. Cashew is one of the most labour-intensive export sectors in the country, he said and added that cashew producing countries such as Vietnam and Brazil have modernised their industry with significant government support.
Higher output
Referring to raw cashewnut production, Nair pointed out that some States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have shown significant increase in productivity.
However, it is declining or stagnating in Kerala, Odisha and Goa. He called upon the State Horticultural Departments of these states to make use of the resources available under the National Horticultural Mission and give focus to cashew cultivation to replicate the success achieved in Maharashtra.
As per the estimate of Directorate of Cashew Nut and Coca Development in 2011-12, Maharashtra has been leading in production of raw cashew nuts with 223,000 tonnes, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 110,000 tonnes, Odisha with 97,000 tonnes, Kerala with 73,000 tonnes and Tamil Nadu with 68,000 tonnes.
The production in the country during the period was 692,000 tonnes against 653,000 tonnes in 2010-11, an increase of 6 per cent.
Awareness drive
He pointed out that Global Cashew Council, formed for the benefit of the world cashew industry, initiated steps to propagate the health benefits of cashew nut and to boost cashew nut consumption world-wide.
The consumer awareness in this regard is still not up to the mark in comparison to other nuts, especially almonds, he said.
GCC also launched an ad hoc research on nutrient facts and a programme of actions to disseminate appropriate information about the nutritional and health benefits of cashew nuts around the world, he added.
> sajeevkumar.v@thehindu.co.in
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