The Hindu Business Line : Effective use of cashew apple urged

Mangalore May 22 Effective use of around 40 lakh tonnes of cashew apple, which is going waste every year, came up for discussion at the two-day national seminar on cashew at Raipur in Chhattisgarh last week.

Organised by the Directorate of Horticulture of Government of Chhattisgarh, the Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development and the Chhattisgarh Ministry of Agriculture, the seminar was attended by representatives from the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI).

Presenting a paper at one of the technical sessions in the seminar, Dr Mini, scientist at Cashew Research Station of Kerala Agricultural University, Madakkathara, Trichur, spoke on the possibilities of the use of 40 lakh tonnes of cashew apples. These could have brought in Rs 400 crore income to farmers in India had they been put to commercial use.

It was informed that Goa is the only State where cashew apples are being gainfully utilised to make feni, a distilled alcoholic liquor.

Mr Walter D'Souza, Chairman of CEPCI, said that CEPCI would request the Centre to persuade the governments of the cashew-producing states to exempt production of feni from cashew apples outside the ambit of excise laws.

It will also request the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries to increase the percentage of grant-in-aid from the current level of 25 per cent to 50 per cent for projects promoting the use of cashew apples.

All the concerned will be requested to organise national-level meetings, at least once every year, so that the stakeholders could have a common platform for discussing and resolving issues, he said.

Mr D'Souza lauded the role being played by the National Horticulture Mission for the welfare of farmers and for allotting a grant of Rs 40 lakh to the Cashew Research Station at Trichur, for popularisation and research on cashew apple products.