NGO's efforts at cashew plantation in Gujarat bearing fruits

Come summer and around 23,000 small farmers of Valsad and Dang districts are busy reaping their cashew harvests.

It may sound odd but the south Gujarat region has now been making a name in cashew production since 2000.

The farmers have not only developed expertise in the crop but have also witnessed a substantial increase in the production for the past three years. This year the region produced 400 tonnes of cashew kernels.

Many cashew processing units have come up in Valsad and many private players have shown interest in setting up processing units in Valsad and Dang.

Presently, the produce is marketed in Gujarat and other states like Maharashtra. However, co-operatives and the NGO BAIF are positive that soon the farmers will be in position to export cashews.

The story began way back in 1982, with BAIF Development and Research Foundation (earlier known as Bhartiya Agro Industries Foundation) starting a project for the upliftment of tribal farmers in Vansada taluk of Navsari district.

V C Badve, chief programme co-ordinator, BAIF south Gujarat operations, told Business Standard, "BAIF started the project in 1982 in Vansada village of Navasari district. The tribal farmers were introduced to cashew crop after BAIF carried out research on the viability of the crop as cashew is not a traditional plantation. Slowly, the farmers of Dharampur and Kaparada blocks also joined in. The actual production of cashewnuts began in 2000. Ever since, the crop has become a steady crop of the region."

Giving details on the acreage and production of cashew plantation in the region, Jayanti Mori, additional chief program co-ordinator of BAIF, said, "Dharampur and Kaparada have most of the plantations. Cashew plantation is spread over 7,500 acres in Dharampur, Kaparada and Dang. About 90 per cent of the plantations are in Dharampur-Kaparada blocks and the are under cashewnut is slowly rising in Dang.

The production of cashewnut has been growing since 2000. The last three years have seen major increase. The region produced 210 tonnes of cashewnut in summer of 2004, 285 tonnes in summer 2005 and almost 400 tonnes in summer 2006."

He added that local co-operative societies have set up 11 cashew processing units in the region. One is operational in Dang. Various co-operatives like Sutrapada co-operative, Karjun co-operative, Mandava, Suterkhed and Pindwad co-operatives are active under the aegis of the Horticulture Co-operative Society of the state.

He said that seeing the success of the plantations, many private players have also shown interest in setting up processing units there.

The produce is marketed in the domestic market and in the neighbouring states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. However, Mori added that considering the increase in the production the farmers and co-operatives are positive that they will be able to export in a couple of years.

Dang is a new area in the cashew plantation but the crop is catching up fast. Talking about this Badve said, "We are shortly launching phase two of the project. In the second phase we will try and up the plantation area of Dang to 2,000 acres from th present 300 acres."

S R Chaudhari, Director of Horticulture, Gujarat Government told Business Standard, "Cashew is not a traditional plantation of Gujarat, but the initiatives of the NGO and through the active government support, the farmers have made this a profitable crop.