Visakhapatnam, October 05, 2021: Cashew processors and exporters in the state have urged the Union commerce and industry ministry to take steps to promote and export Palasa cashew.
Palasa and Kasibugga in Srikakulam district are the biggest cashew processing centres in the state with over 300 processing units. All units together produce over 60,000 kilos of cashew kernels per day and have an annual turnover between Rs 250 to Rs 300 crore.While Palasa cashew is famous for its rich taste and unique flavour, traders have failed to export it to other countries. Cashew manufacturers in Srikakulam have been importing raw cashew from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, Tanzania, Indonesia and other countries through the sea route according to the reports published in timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Speaking to TOI, president of Industrial Estate and owner of a cashew processing unit, Palasa, Malla Rameswara Rao said the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the agency to help the cashew industry with exports.“But we observed that APEDA has been extending its services to Kerala and cashew traders from AP are not getting any support to export quality cashew kernels to other countries. If we get support from the APEDA, we will export cashew kernels,” Rao added.
The Palasa cashew industry requires over 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts every year. Cashew growers in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts manage tosupply only 30 to 40% of this requirement.
“Due to the shortage of the raw material in the local market, we have been importing it at Rs 125 to Rs 140 per kg dependingon the quality of the nuts to continue the legacy of the Palasa cashew industry,” traders added.
“Recently we met commerce secretary BVR Subrahmanyam in Vizag and urged him to promote Palasa cashew in the global market by creating the scope for export,” Rao added.
