Cashew body festival to focus on farmer empowerment

MANGALURU, MARCH 4: 

Focus on the empowerment of cashew growers will be part of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers’ Association (KCMA). The year-long event will begin with a two-day event in Mangaluru on Mach 14.

A press release by KCMA said here on Wednesday that the event will showcase the strength of the industry and unveil the vision for the next 15 years. Apart from empowering raw cashewnut growers, the cashew industry will make efforts to arrest the colossal waste of the cashew apple and make the raw cashewnut production much more remunerative for the farmers. KCMA will also evolve a sustainable mechanism to assure farmers a minimum guaranteed price for their produce.

A press release said that the event will create more awareness about the health and nutritional benefits of cashew. The event will make efforts to attract the attention of the Union and state governments and decision makers about the immense potential of the industry.

It said the diamond jubilee celebrations will start with a national convention on cashew and a machinery exhibition on March 14.  Experts will present technical papers on various aspects of the industry such as production, processing, promotion, marketing, automation etc. KCMA will unfold all its plans and projects during the diamond jubilee year on March 15. KCMA has over 400 cashew processors in nine districts of Karnataka.

The release said that collectively cashew industry has given direct employment to over 50,000 people, and 95 per cent of them are women belonging to the weaker sections of society.

In terms of volume of business, cashew industry has grown from an aggregate of ₹50 crore to over ₹2,000 crore per annum in the last three decades. In terms of export earnings to the national exchequer, the industry has registered a jump from about ₹30 crore to over ₹800 crore per annum in the three decades, it added.