QUALITY STANDARDS OF PLANTING MATERIALS AND ORGANIC FARMING IN CASHEW

摘要

Among foreign exchange earning crops cashew stands second in the country. During 2005-06 the country imported 5 lakh tons of raw cashew nuts to meet processing requirement for export of cashew kernels. Only half of the processing requirement is met from the raw nuts produced in the country, the remaining half is imported from mostly African countries. Though largest area under cultivation in India with highest export of cashew kernels fetching very good foreign exchange cashew, as such, does not receive due attention by the farmers. Many cashew development schemes have been introduced in the country. Out of these, stress is given rnore on the supply of quality planting materials and organic production of cashew due to the fact that cashew is exported to USA and European countries that prefer organically produced cashew kernels. Nearly 80 percent of cashew gardens do not receive manures and plant protection measures. This means cashew is growing on its own. This can be called as natural farming of cashew. But the yields realized from such gardens are very low. Mainly due to this per hectare cashew yields are too low in India.