Kerala to float a Cashew board for import

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the establishment of a Cashew board tasked with importing raw cashew mostly from  West African countries besides procuring indigenous raw cashews from Kerala to keep the cashew processing industry situated in Kollam district alive.

Nearly 65,000 metric tons of cashews have been imported during the last six years and the freight cost alone works out Rs. 639.42 crores. Plans are afoot to import an additional 30,000 metric tons of raw cashew in the coming years to keep the cashew processing industry alive.

The Chief Minister said the impact of the cashew industry on the social fabric of Kollam is profound. We have moved beyond a phase where factories remained shut and workers struggled to make ends meet. In 2015 and 2016, cashew factories operated for only 56 days. Since our government assumed power in 2016, we have fulfilled our commitment to reopening closed factories, initiating steps to modernize and revitalize the industry he said.

He emphasized the significance of the cashew industry as a vital traditional sector in the state, with Kollam serving as its epi-centre. He highlighted ongoing efforts in infrastructure development and modernization initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of life for workers in the cashew sector.