PANAJI
The cashew season has started, however, the cashew nuts are not fetching good rates in the market, lament the Goan farmers. The horticulturists in the State have not yet fixed the rate for the cashew nuts. Some factory owners are buying the nuts at the rate of Rs 120 per kg, which is too less and the rate should be fixed at least at Rs 150, demand farmers in Goa.The nut, that fetched Rs 200 per kg, few years ago has now gone down, and a gradual fall in the rate is being witnessed in the past few years. The farmers have been demanding to increase the rate of cashew nuts every season, and have put up proposals to the government. Last year due to unseasonal rains, the crop had been destroyed on a large scale. Compared to that, this year the crop seems to be better, but if the rates are not reasonable, the farmers fear that they would be in losses again for the second consecutive year.
Goa has cashew plantations on a big scale, and there has been a steady increase in the area of plantations. Thousands of hectares of land is under cashew cultivation, and farmers are taking cashew crop in the hope of getting good returns. Many have shifted from paddy and other crops and preferred to opt for cashew plantations. Many hybrid varieties are seen growing in these plantations, and the overall production of cashew nuts has grown in the past few years.
The farmers claim that they have to spend thousands of rupees on the maintenance of cashew plantations. The trees need fertilisers in the monsoon. Regular weeding by workers is also a necessity. Despite these expenses, there is no satisfactory return, thus making this crop unaffordable, claim the farmers. Many of the factory owners, do not purchase the local cashew nuts and instead buy imported cashew nuts from other countries which sell at cheaper rates. This results in creating lesser demand for local cashew nuts in the market, and the farmers are compelled to sell at lower rates, though it is not feasible.
