Potential of Employment in Cashew Plantation and Processing Units
India is the largest area holder of cashew plantation. Cultivation of cashew confines mainly to the peninsular areas. It is grown in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra along the west coast and Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal along the east coast. To a limited extent, it is being cultivated in Chattisgarh, North Eastern States (Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It generates employment in the processing and agrarian sector employing over 3 lakh persons with 95% of them being women.
The Government has contemplated various developmental measures to attain self-sufficiency in the production of raw cashewnuts in the States. The Directorate of Cashew-nut & Cocoa Development (DCCD), Ministry of Agriculture has implemented the measures under National Horticulture Mission and in the North- Eastern States under Technology Mission. New plantation development and replanting of old senile and uneconomical cashew gardens with high yielding varieties are the major activities of the States for increasing production of cashew with supporting programmes like establishment of nurseries, frontline technology demonstrations, popularising utilization of cashew apple, publicity for the promotion of crop, pest and disease management, human resources development, promotion of integrated nutrition management, organic farming and evaluation of the impact of production technologies and information upgradation.
A scheme on up-gradation of existing old cashew processing units in India has been sanctioned under National Horticulture Mission (NHM) to be executed in the states of West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu at a total cost of Rs.56.00 lakhs during the year 2010-11. Recently, the Govt. has received a request for financial assistance for International brand building & new market development in Russia and China from the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation Ltd.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri Harish Rawat gave this information in reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.
YSK: PM