the goan I network
MARGAO
Ruling out the possibility of any mafia fixing the price of cashew nuts at the cost of the Goan farmer, Achal Industries CEO Giridhar Prabhu on Wednesday said that the cashew nuts rate is determined by market forces, fluctuations and volatility of the global situation.
Addressing the media in the presence of Adarsh Cooperative Society Chairman Prakash Velip, Prabhu was clear in stating that the mafia has no hand in determining the prices of cashew nuts in the state of Goa.
Against the backdrop of allegations made by former Agriculture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar that cashew nuts farmers are not getting the remunerative rate as the prices are determined by the mafia, Prabhu said the rate of cashew rate had come down drastically in 2019 from Rs 167 per kilogram in 2018 because of excess supply of cashew nuts in the world market.
He pointed out that cashew nuts are being manufactured not only in Goa, but many states such as Odisha and Andhra Pradesh has now emerged as big players in the industry. Besides, cashew nuts also come to India from as many as 16 African countries.
“Comparatively, Goa manufactures around 8000 tones of cashew nuts every year on an average. Farmers in Goa had received a good rate in 2018 because of the factors prevailing then before the rate came down drastically last year because of the crash in the global prices,” he said, adding that fluctuations and volatility in the global prices have a bearing on the procurement price of cashew nuts.
Saying that Goan cashew nuts are the much-sought after nuts in Europe and other foreign countries, because of the taste and quality, Prabhu said Achal industries, Mangalore procures Goan cashew nuts from Adarsh Society every year.
Adarsh Society chairman, Prakash Velip said Adarsh had been associating with Achal Industries since 1993 and since then, had dispatched thousands of trucks of cashew nuts worth Rs 237 crore from Goa to the manufacturing unit
in Mangalore.
