K'taka plans extensive expansion of area under cashewnut

The Karnataka government will push to expand the area under cashewnut plantations in 2006-07 as part of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM) that is being implemented in the state.

The state department of horticulture, which is the implementing agency, has drawn up an action plan to take up plantations of high-yielding cashewnut grafts in over 5,000 hectares. The department has earmarked Rs 6 crore from the NHM funds for the project.

"We propose to distribute high yielding cashewnut grafts to farmers in select districts under the NHM scheme. The collection of grafts is in progress. The different varieties of grafts suitable for different geographical regions are being distributed to farmers, which will be planted after the first showers in June," said Jayaram, joint director, horticulture department.

Presently, cashewnut is grown in about 62,000 hectares in the state and the production is estimated to be around 45,000 tonnes. But the processing units in the state requires about one lakh tonnes of raw nuts for conversion into cashew kernels. As of now, the industry imports 55,000 tonnes of raw nuts from African countries, Jayaram told Business Standard.

With the proposed expansion of areas planting high yielding grafts, the state plans to add about 10,000 tonnes of raw nuts in the next four to five years, he said.

The Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers Association (KCMA), which is celebrating its golden jubilee this year, has joined hands with the horticulture department to launch an ambitious project "Karnataka Geru Samriddhi Yojane" (Karnataka Cashewnut Development Programme). The aim is to increase the raw cashew production in the state to 1.50 lakh tonnes and make Karnataka the number one cashew producing state by 2015.

Says Kalbavi Prakash Rao, president, KCMA, "Our aim is to create an awareness among farmers to take up the crop in an orchard fashion and increase the output from the present 700 kg to 2,000 kg per hectare".

The state government plans to distribute over 15 lakh high yielding grafts to progressive farmers during the year. The KCMA last year distributed over one lakh saplings through its network to farmers and have followed up to ensure a high survival rate.

This has engendered a strong response from farmers and there is now a good demand for cashew grafts in the state. Nurseries have exhausted their stocks of high yielding cashew grafts and are gearing up to meet the enhanced demand, Prakash said.

As part of NHM, the horticulture department is running demonstration plots for high density plantation and rejuvenation of the existing senile trees. It is also conducting awareness workshop and seminars to, among other things, encourage setting up of new nurseries.