Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 16: Cashew, one of the major commercial crops of the coastal belt, is facing a severe crisis due to declining yield and lack of remunerative prices. Once a mainstay of rural households, cashew cultivation is steadily losing its appeal as erratic weather conditions reduce output and farmers struggle without proper market support.
At present, Karnataka requires around 5 lakh tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually. However, only about 50,000 tonnes are produced within the state, forcing dependence on imports for nearly 90 per cent of the requirement.
Within the jurisdiction of the Cashew Development Corporation spread across the Mangaluru and Kumta divisions, cashew is cultivated on about 25,629 hectares. Ideally, the yield should be around 800 kg per hectare, but in Dakshina Kannada district, production has fallen to less than half of this. Officials say that if optimum yield is achieved, most of the demand could be met from the coastal region itself, significantly reducing imports.
Cashew cultivation is highly sensitive to climatic balance. Flowering generally begins in November and requires cool weather. Rain during this period causes water stagnation on flowers, leading to scorching under sunlight and flower drop, which reduces yield. Although trees flower again after 10–15 days, rain during this phase also results in losses. Excessive heat is equally harmful. For the past three years, adverse weather conditions have severely affected cashew production.
During the flowering stage, cashew plantations are affected by tea mosquito bugs, stem borers and trunk borers. These pests damage shoots, branches and flower clusters, causing trees to turn yellow and further impacting yield.
Cashew plantations are spread across Puttur, Vittal, Kundapur, Byndoor, Shivamogga and other regions. The Cashew Development Corporation begins its auction process in November, after which contractors are permitted to harvest and sell cashew till the end of May. Maintenance of plantations, including clearing weeds and undergrowth, is the responsibility of contractors. Poor upkeep allows other vegetation to grow, stunting cashew tree growth. There are complaints that maintenance of corporation-managed plantations is currently inadequate.
In Dakshina Kannada, around 7,537 hectares of cashew plantations are located on forest department land and leased to the Cashew Development Corporation. While cashew trees can be maintained and nuts harvested, other trees cannot be disturbed. Officials also point out that wildlife interference has reduced expected yields in these plantations.
Key reasons for the decline include climate change, unseasonal November rains, delayed flowering, pest attacks and fluctuations in market prices.
Research is underway to improve cashew cultivation. Varieties that allow planting of up to 250 saplings per acre, such as Nethra, Jumbo-1, Jumbo-2 and Nethra Ganga, are being supplied to farmers through the Cashew Research Centre. New high-yielding varieties with better pest resistance have also been developed and may be released to farmers soon.
Farmers naturally prefer more profitable crops. With arecanut fetching better prices, cashew has become a last-choice crop. Many farmers grow cashew only on land unsuitable for other crops. Inadequate plantation care further reduces yield. Imported raw cashew nuts from Africa are cheaper, and companies are reluctant to pay higher prices for domestic produce, discouraging farmers from taking up cashew cultivation, according to experts.
Cashew yield has declined due to rainfall during the harvest season. Although cashew is a nutritionally rich crop and recognised as a commercial crop, it lacks crop insurance and minimum support price. Providing market access for cashew apples could also help safeguard the interests of cashew growers, said a cashew farmer.