the goan I network
SANGUEM
Claiming that the revised price of Rs 125 per kg for cashew nuts offered by the government is still too low, Sanguem’s Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar has demanded that the rates be revised to Rs 200 per kg to enable cashew cultivators in the State to enjoy some profit from cashew cultivation after toiling in the hot sun throughout the year.
A few days ago, Gaonkar had met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and had submitted a memorandum seeking an increase in price of cashew nuts from Rs 105 per kg to Rs 200 per kg.
Responding to Gaonkar’s memorandum, the State government had increased the price of cashew nuts from Rs 105 per kg to Rs 125 per kg.
Gaonkar, however, claimed that the marginal increase in the rate of cashew nut was unacceptable and needed to be increased to Rs 200 per kg.
“As of now, a large percentage of profits from the sale of cashew nuts goes to the middlemen and cashew nut suppliers, who earn around Rs 550 to Rs 1,000 per kg,” Gaonkar told The Goan.
“Suppliers charge around Rs 1,100 to Rs 1,500 per kg for a packet of cashew nuts in the retail market, while the cost involved in manufacturing the same nuts is hardly around Rs 500-550 per kg.”
“A cashew cultivator spends around Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000 per hectare per annum, which includes the cost of labour and other processing costs, while the income generated per hector at the present given rate is hardly between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1 lakh. The income generated by cultivators is barely break-even and therefore, a suitable increase in the cashew nut rates to cultivators is necessary,” said Gaonkar.
Gaonkar urged the State government to seek advice from experts regarding the increase in rates for cashew cultivators in the State.
“Calculations presented by me to the chief minister have been fixed at the bare minimum rates and even after that, cashew cultivators are suffering huge losses,” informed Gaonkar.
“Since a lot of effort and hard work is involved in cashew cultivation, the State government must consider the plight of the cashew cultivators, so that more people, particularly the youth, get attracted to farming activity instead of pursuing other jobs,” he added.
