State mulls to start cashew cultivation in South 24-Pgns; pilot project likely to be taken up soon

kolkata: The state Food Processing Industries and Horticulture (FPI&H) department is planning to take up cashew cultivation in South 24 Parganas. The existing cashew orchards are located primarily in East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram and the state has to import cashew from the southern states to meet the demand of cashew nuts in Bengal.

"The weather conditions of South 24-Parganas coastal belt is more or less similar to that of East Midnapore coast. So we are exploring whether cultivation can be extended to South 24-Parganas. We will soon hold a meeting with the public representatives, including those in the panchayat-level and will ask them to identify land where cultivation of cashew can be taken up,"Subrata Saha, state FPI& H minister said.

According to sources in the FPI&H department, there is need for augmentation of cashew cultivation in Bengal as the processing industry often suffers while importing from other states because of the Centre's vacillating regulations about cashew.

An official in the department said that they need to identify land for setting up a horticulture farm in the district where the department can take up a pilot project for cashew cultivation.

"Before encouraging farmers to take up the same, we need to be sanguine about the feasibility of the cultivation there.

The cashew cultivation has the potential to bring a transformation in the economy of the Suderbans and ensure a fruitful alternative livelihood of the farmers but we need to take steps in a steady manner,"the official added.

Additional Chief Secretary of the department Subrata Gupta has been asked by the minister to write to District Magistrate Sumit Gupta for identifying a land in any of the blocks in Sunderbans where the department can develop its own farm.

There is restriction in construction within 5 kms of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) which needs to be kept in mind before identification of land.

Cashews that are sold both raw or roasted and salted or unsalted are a good source of protein and minerals.