Ambitious project to boost cashew crop

Kannur, May 23 (UNI) A major project will be implemented in Kannur district of Kerala for the promotion of cashew crops.

The Kerala State Agency for the Expansion of Cashew Cultivation (KSACC) and the Kannur District Panchayat has jointly instituted the project.

The KSACC will supply 40 types of heigh yielding varities of plants discovered by the Kerala Agricutural University researchers recently with a production of up to three tonnes from one hectare land, Mr K K Narayanan, District panchayat president and G Mohandas, special officer, KSACC and J Mercey Kutty Amma said at a press conference today.

The KSACC will also give a subsidy of 35 per cent of total expenses met by farmers to cultivate the new plants and also allow government incentives for every plants.

The technical instructions for organic type of cultivation were given directly by the researchers of agricultural university for replanting new plants, Mr Mohandas said.

Self Help Groups(SHG) and the newly-formed cashew growers club(CGC) had also helped the KSACC to promote cashew cultivation.

A Rs 180 crore project was submitted by the KSACC to the Central government Kerala, which once enjoyed the top position in cashew production, was now in the sixth position. The production went down to 68,000 metric tonnes from two lakh metric tonnes in 1970.

UNI AK VV AK US1659