Visakhapatnam: With the large-scale introduction of a new fresh juice, Andhra Pradesh's robust cashew industry is now looking to squeeze every last drop of gains from this crop that is mostly grown in agency areas. Cashew apples, classified as accessory fruits, are left unused while the nut is extracted. This waste results in limited gains or losses for the farmers. To address this, the Tribal community has proposed the introduction of cashew apple juice.
"This initiative which will involve collecting and selling cashew apple juice, offers a hopeful future for the industry," said honorary president of the Adivasi 5th Schedule Sadhana Sangam Committee Govinda Rao.
Andhra Pradesh is the second highest producer of cashew nuts, according to export trade platform APEDA's 2021-22 data. Cashew plants are grown in 1,35,241 hectares, yielding 1,21,540 tonnes of cashew nuts in the state. The average productivity of cashew nuts in Andhra Pradesh is 730 kg per hectare.
The cashew plantations in Andhra Pradesh are typically cultivated without fertilisers, particularly in the agency areas. This practice has resulted in robust plant growth, early maturity and consistent yields due to the balanced nutrients obtained by the plants.
India has over 3,000 cashew processing industries with a combined processing capacity of 25 lakh tonnes of cashew seeds.
For the past 25 years, India has maintained its position as a global leader in cashew nuts production, processing, and export.
India imports raw cashew nuts from African countries for processing and exports the finished cashew products to over 60 countries. However, the country is wasting cashew apples.
Recognising the potential of the unused cashew apples, Gandham Agro CEO G. Sunitha has taken action.
The company plans to establish a plant to collect these cashew apples. Efforts are underway to set up a cashew apple juice manufacturing plant, which involves securing a `2-crore loan from NABARD Bank.
In light of this, she met with cashew farmers of Golugonda mandal, outlining the steps and their seeking cooperation.
