Help improve productivity of cashew plantations: Governor Wanchoo

PANAJI: Expressing concern over the low productivity of cashew plantations in Goa, governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo on Tuesday urged agro-scientists to help the state address the problem.
Inaugurating a national training programme in cashew cultivation at ICAR complex in Old Goa on Tuesday, which had experts from across the country in attendance, Wanchoo said, "The productivity of cashew in the state is very low at 540 kilograms per hectare, as compared to the national average of 770 kilograms per hectare. The main reason behind this low productivity is the senile status of the plantations and its natural cultivation."

Wanchoo stated that Goa was quite late to realize the value of the precious nut. "Goa was the first region to cultivate cashew in India, after the Portuguese introduced it in their colony. But, its economic worth was established only after 100 years of its introduction. Today, cashew cultivation occupies 55,000 hectares in the state, with a total production of 29,000 metric tonnes. Goa is also the only state to also use the cashew apple to brew fenny, and the total value of the trade is estimated at over 250 crore," said Wanchoo.
Stressing the economic significance of the cashew crop to India's economy, Wanchoo warned that the nation was facing stiff competition from Vietnam, in terms of cashew exports.
"In 2012-2013, our cashew brought in foreign exchange to the tune of 4,097 core. Ironically, in the same time period, we also spent valuable foreign exchange to the tune of 5,331 crore for importing raw nuts from other countries to meet our domestic industry needs. The processing sector in our country now requires around 1.6 million tonnes of raw nuts, and the current gap between the domestic production and the demand of the processing industry is more than 50 per cent," he said, calling for sustainable horticulture techniques and use of high-yielding varieties to enhance production.

- India Times