MU1TI USES OF CASHEW APPLE

摘要

Cashew, originally introduced in India by Portuguese traders during 16th century for growing against soil erosion, is at present mainly grown for its nut. However the casl.ew apple, to which the nut is attached, is almost completely wasted in India now witu out commercial exploitation, with few exceptions only. The production of cashew apple in India is estimated to be around 40 lakhs tonnes per annum. Several studies have clearly indicated that cashew .apple is highly nutritious and comparable withmany other tropical fruits. It is quite unfortunate that the country is wasting such an excellent fruit, causing economic loss to farmers and the country. Large number of technologies are available at present for the economic utilization of cashew applefor various purposes and this article explains these technologies in brief.