All Kerala Cashewnut Factory Workers’ Federation and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) will launch agitations in all cashew factories across the State demanding a comprehensive package to revive the sinking sector.
“Among the 846 factories in the State, only 40 are run by Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society (Capex) and Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC). Rest of the factories are in private sector and most of them have downed their shutters rendering thousands of workers jobless. All major processors have relocated to other States due to government apathy,” said A.A.Aziz, working president of the federation.
The federation members said that both the State and Centre have failed to address the issues of the sector even after five processors committed suicide.
The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had suspended the powers vested with Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) headquartered in Kollam and authorised Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Agency (APEDA) to issue Registration Cum Membership Certificates (RCMCs) to cashew exporters.
Alleging that Cashew Board, constituted to to procure RCN directly from cashew exporting countries, is nothing but a white elephant, federation president N.K.Premachandran, MP, said that the industry will not survive without adequate government support.
“When the LDF government announced the 100-day action plan, the industry was totally ignored. The new budget too had nothing for the sector,” he added.
While former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had introduced subsidy to coir workers under income support scheme to help the sector, cashew, another traditional sector, received no such stimulus from the government, he pointed out.
“The industry that provided livelihood to thousands of women from underprivileged sections, has come to a standstill. Right now the industry needs a comprehensive package for revival. Cashew federation will organise a protest as per COVID-19 protocol on July 28 at Kollam collectorate and it will be extended to all factories in the State in the coming days,” he said.
