The Agriculture and Processed Foods Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) and the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) will approach the Centre with a proposal to set up a cashew nut export zone in Maharashtra. ?The proposal will be submitted to the Centre in a couple of months,? Harshavardhan Patil, state minister for marketing and employment guarantee scheme said.
Currently, there are eight agriculture export zones located in Maharashtra. This export zone that will be meant for cashew nuts is likely to be located in the Konkan region, he said.
?The demand for cashew nuts from Maharashtra is the highest in the US. Although raisins have a good market, there are issues associated with quality. The government is putting together programmes to improve quality,? he said.
Around 1.60 lakh hectares in Maharashtra are under cashew cultivation. India exported around 131 metric tonne (MT) of cashews in 2006-07. Of this, Maharashtra accounted for 24 lakh MT.
The minister said that the state cabinet would soon discuss a proposal to encourage the production of wine from cashews.
Grape exports from Maharashtra this year stood at 54,000 MT in 2006-07. The state has around 45,000 hectares under cultivation with a total production of 12.75 lakh MT. Patil was in Pune to open a five-day fest on cashew nuts and raisins, organised by MSAMB.