Cashew farmers want unit to buy their produce

Srikakulam: Cashew farmers of Uddanam region in the district are demanding the state government to purchase their produce as most of the cashew processing units import raw nuts from foreign countries. About 400 cashew processing units are functioning in Uddanam region where raw nuts are processed as dal (broken). But most of these units are importing raw cashew nuts from abroad like Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria.

As a result, local farmers are selling their raw cashew nuts to brokers and middlemen at cheaper price as Rs12,000 for 80-kg bag. Local cashew farmers are demanding the owners of the cashew processing units to purchase their produce and alsourged the Central and state governments to impose restrictions on import of raw cashew nuts from foreign countries which is posing threat to local cashew cultivation.