To help cashew growers, the district administration has given the nod to cashew processing units to start operations at a reduced capacity in Udupi district.
The decision was made after cashew growers informed the administration that some traders were taking advantage of the uncertainty caused by the lockdown and purchasing cashew from growers at rates varying from ₹ 20 to ₹ 30 per kg, when growers should be getting ₹ 80 per kg or more.
According to the Department of Horticulture, there are 96 functioning cashew processing units in the district.
Cashew is cultivated in 17,386 hectares in the district and the annual production is put at 34,772 tonnes.
Of the 17,386 hectares under cultivation, about 8,000 hecatres are under the Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation. Assistant Director of Horticulture Guruprasad told The Hindu that cashew grown in the district met just a month’s need of the cashew processing units of the district. These processing units imported raw cashew and after processing it, they exported it. “Last year, the growers in the district sold cashew for ₹ 120 per kg,” he said.
The harvesting of cashew crop has begun in the district and will continue through the next month. Satyanarayana Udupa, who cultivates cashew in 4.5 acres of land at Japti village, said that the big growers mostly sold their cashew to factories and the small growers to traders.
“But the traders are using the uncertainty caused by the lockdown and purchasing the produce at less than half the rate. This will affect the small cashew growers more as they have little bargaining power,” he said.
Accordingly, the administration has allowed these units to function with 25 % of their worker capacity, maintain social distancing and following other health-related guidelines.