The Cashew Development Corporation (CDC) has conceived a plan for production of jam, vinegar and wine from cashew apple procured from the district.
Announcing this at a meeting of cashew growers and representatives of farmers’ organisations here on Thursday, CDC chairman S. Jayamohan said that the project for the production of the value-added products from cashew apple would be started at the cashew factory at Thalassery.
He also said that the people’s cashew cultivation scheme’s State-level inauguration would be held on June 5. Scheme for roadside planting of cashew saplings would also be launched, he said.
Mr. Jayamohan said that consensus had been reached on proposals for welfare schemes that ensure fair returns for cashew growers in Kannur and cashew workers in Kollam.
A committee comprising cashew growers, their organisations, CDC, Kudumbasree functionaries and the district panchayat had been constituted to redress complaints about middlemen in the cashew sector.
The committee would take a decision on cashew procurement and price in a week, he announced.
The CDC chairman said that cashew growers would be given money in advance. A decision was also taken to procure at a fair price cashew from 4,000 hectares under cashew cultivation at the Aralam Farm. The CDC would distribute high-yield variety cashew saplings that can yield in three years.
District panchayat president K.V. Sumesh, Capex Director C.G. Gopukrishnan, CDC Director Kanhiravila Ajayakumar and Aralam Farm managing director T.K. Vishwnathan were among those present at the meet.
