NERAMAC purchases cashew from Tripura farmers

Agartala, Jun 12 (UNI) Northeastern Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperative(NERAMAC) has agreed to purchase cashewnuts directly from the cultivators in Tripura, following a tripartite meeting last week.

Official sources here today said NERAMAC had bought the first cashew consignment in South Tripura yesterday at a good rate of Rs 27 per kg.

Besides, suitable climate and soil for cashew cultivation in the state, plantation of these crops were expanded fast due to its high market demand and presently, 4,000 tonnes of raw nuts are produced in Tripura, sources said.

The state Horticultural department is processing a special type of cashewnut manually, in the process raw nuts are roasted, shells are broken.

Drying is performed at low temperatures to maintain the potential nutritive value and its natural sweetness, said Agriculture minister Tapan Chakraborty.

Kernels are dried in electric dryers and packed in Polly bags and marketed with product brand name Horti-in, Mr Chakraborty said, adding that adequate hygiene is maintained in the entire process and as a result, salted Horti-in has now become a strong competitor at national market.

Tripura has certain inherent advantages - fertile soil, abundant moisture and a sub-tropical climate, which provide scope for the production of a wide variety of tropical and sub-tropical fruits and vegetables.

Despite the State's potential to produce and market horticultural products on a large-scale, the method of production remained outdated and development of the method of production and processing Perspective Plan for Development of Horticulture for 2002-12 was drafted.

According to the plan, horticultural fruits and crops such as orange, pineapple, mango, banana, litchi, jackfruit, papaya, cashew nuts, areca nut, coconut, black pepper, ginger, capsicum, betel vine, summer cabbage and summer cauliflower have been identified for immediate development.

The plan also proposes the promotion of orchids, anthurium, vanilla and mushroom cultivation while an area of 12,750 hectares would be brought under the cultivation of the horticultural crops during the plan period.

UNI