Cashew production is likely to get a boost with the Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development taking steps to increase the area under farming to one million hectare (ha) by 2012. The government body has decided to take up cultivation in a big way in states like Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, and the north-eastern region under the eleventh plan. From the present farming area of 874,000 ha, the directorate hopes to achieve a 15% increase in area that will help in reducing the import of raw cashew kernels, for which the nation depends on African nations. In traditional areas, the directorate hopes to replant up to 10,000 ha to increase productivity.
It is expected that the new measures would help in bringing down the import of raw cashew kernels substantially by 2015. At present, the domestic cashew processing and exporting industry is importing over 600,000 tonne of raw cashew kernels every year.
Cashew is mainly cultivated in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The directorate has identified 100,000 ha of land in Bastar in Chattisgarh for new farms. Jharkhand is another state, which has potential to increase the area under cultivation from the present 5,000 ha, sources said.
However, the lesser availability of quality planting material is a major concern and so is the drag in productivity due to the higher average age of the cashew trees. Indian productivity for cashew stands at 860 kg per ha, while the real potential stands 1,500-2,000 kg. According to studies, cashew trees in over 300,000 ha out of the total area of 874,000 ha are senile.
Indian export earnings from cashew nut slipped by 6.8% to Rs 2,288 crore in 2007-08 (April-March), as compared with Rs 2,455 crore in 2006-07.