MARGAO
Organic cashew farmers may face an uncertain future to market their produce as the Achal group of industries, Mangaluru has decided to discontinue buying cashew nuts from the Quepem Adarsh Krishi Society headed by Chairman Prakash Velip from next season.
Given the situation, Prakash Velip has made a plea to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant as well as Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik seeking their intervention to protect the interests of the organic farmers, numbering around 3,500, attached to the Adarsh Krishi society.
He told The Goan that the Adarsh Krishi society has received a letter from Mangaluru-based Achal group of industries to stop buying cashew nuts from the society.
“Achal industries has been the marketing avenue for the farmers, who are members of the Adarsh Krishi for the last three decades. Due to some reasons, the Achal group has decided to discontinue buying of cashew nuts from the society. This major decision will have a disastrous impact on the cashew farmers, especially the organic farmers spread across the hinterland talukas of the state”, he said.
Saying that Prime Minster Narendra Modi has laid major thrust on organic food, Prakash Velip has said the Goa government should take up the issue of the organic cashew farmers from Goa with the centre for a solution. “The Adarsh Krishi society will write a letter to the Chief Minister as well as the Agriculture Minister detailing the unfolding development and how Achal’s decision to discontinue purchase of cashew nuts from the society will adversely affect the organic farmers”, he said.
He added: “Unless the organic farmers get the marketing avenue to sell their produce, they will not get the encouragement to boost further production of the crop. We hope that the government will see reason and bail out the organic farmers”.
