Horticulture dept to subsidise fenny units

The Horticulture Department will give a subsidy of 25 per cent on the capital investment to those private entrepreneurs who come forward to set up fenny manufacturing units to make the best use of the cashew fruit, Alangooru Srinivas, horticulture minister told reporters here.

Under the National Horticulture Mission, Karnataka has been granted Rs 200.79 crore of which Rs 2 crore will be spent on improving productivity of cashew plantations, he said.

The Horticulture Department has mooted a plan to increase cashewnut production in the state from 40,000 tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes in the next decade.

This will be achieved by distributing and planting high yielding cashew saplings and training growers in better plantation management, he said. At present the cashew processing industries are importing raw cashewnuts.

The minister said that there is a need to popularise cashew crop in North Karnataka and stress will be laid on increasing the yield per hectare in the existing plantations.

The department plans to distribute 2.67 lakh cashew saplings in Dakshina Kannada District of which 50,000 will be distributed through the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association.

There are plans to establish cashew nurseries in the district to meet the local demand, he added.

About 2.67 lakh cashew saplings will be distributed in Dakshina Kannada district of which 50,000 will be distributed through the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association. There are plans to establish cashew nurseries in the district to meet the local demand, he added.