India’s domestic raw cashew nut production is likely to drop 8-10 per cent in 2009-10 due to the unseasonal rains and above normal morning temperatures during the flowering period in October and November last year.
According to the data with the Kochi-based Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development (DCCD), a national agency under the Union ministry of agriculture engaged in the overall development of cashew and cocoa in India, the raw cashew nut production for the year is likely to be around 630,000 tonnes compared to 690,000 tonnes in 2008-09.
“There were unseasonal rains in most of the growing areas on the west coast during October and November, and the morning temperatures were higher at 21-22 degree Celsius compared to 16-17 degree Celsius seen last year. This resulted in the dropping of flowers and tender fruits, and consequently led to a lower crop this year,” M R Venkatesh Hubballi, director, DCCD said.
He said, unseasonal rains also resulted in the late commencement of harvesting this year. Most growing areas in Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala have delayed harvesting the crop by over a month. The directorate had earlier estimated the raw nut production at 700,000 tonnes for 2010. However, according to the latest trends analysed by DCCD, the crop this year is likely to fall around 10 per cent, Hubballi told Business Standard.
Cashew nut is grown on about 893,000 hectares spread over 14 states. It is largely grown in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa. There have been attempts in recent years to cultivate it in West Bengal, Tripura, Chhattisgarh among others.
Hubballi said the DCCD has been encouraging states to expand area under cashew nut cultivation with funds available under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM). During 2009-10, an additional 18,000 hectares were brought under cashew nut in 14 states. The NHM allocated Rs 56 crore for planting high yielding grafts. For 2010-11, the NHM is likely to double funds for new plantations on 20,000 hectares, he said.
He said the directorate has set a target of 800,000 tonnes in 2010-11, a growth of 15 per cent over last year. The directorate is stressing increasing the yield up to 2 tonnes per hectare from the present 660 kg per hectare. Presently, the domestic production caters to about 50 per cent of the raw cashew nut requirement by the cashew processing industry.
About 1,600 cashew nut processing units still import the balance 50 per cent to meet their export commitments.
For the first 11 months of the fiscal 2009-10, the industry imported 726,095 tonnes, a rise of 23 per cent over the same period last year.
In value terms, the imports were to the tune of Rs 2,908 crore, a jump of 13.6 per cent over the same period a year ago.
