Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) and the distribution of loans to private processors on February 26.
The loans for processors who had stopped operations due to financial difficulties have been restructured so that they can avail themselves of fresh funding.
Private processors would get fresh interest-free loans for one year and ₹25 crore had been set aside for that, said KSCDC chairman S. Jayamohan here on Wednesday.
The corporation has planned year-long celebrations to mark the golden jubilee year and the Chief Minister will also inaugurate renovated factory complexes.
As part of the celebrations, the KSCDC will induct 3,000 more labourers to 30 factories.
Hi-tech units
All the factories will be converted to hi-tech buildings with added facilities and steps will be taken to expand and promote cashew farming.
An international seminar will be organised and a cashew museum and model cashew farm will come up in a factory at Kottiyam. Shelling workers will be provided cutting machines and all labourers will receive vocational training and skill development sessions.
The KSCDC also plans to launch 50 value-added products this year.
Entrance coaching
The children of cashew labourers will be provided free entrance coaching.
An organising committee was formed on Wednesday for the jubilee celebrations.
Ministers from the district, MPs, MLAs, Mayor, district panchayat president and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society (Capex) chairman will be the patrons while Mr. Jayamohan and KSCDC managing director Rajesh Ramakrishnan will be the chairman and convener of the committee.
