Staff Reporter
Panaji
With 12.5 per cent of the land under cashew crop in the state with the Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC), chairperson Deviya Rane on Monday said the GFDC is making intensive efforts to rejuvenate old cashew plantations to increase yield.
The Poriem MLA said that GFDC has been steadily rejuvenating cashew plantations on forest land, with a total of 450 hectares rejuvenated so far out of 6,600 hectares in the corporation’s possession (where the nut is grown).
“This year, the target for rejuvenation is 280 hectares. In the next two years, another 1,500 hectares will be taken up for revival,”
said Rane.
The MLA said that GFDC is presently the biggest cultivator of cashews, and the rejuvenation
will help raise the state’s average cashew productivity, which is currently low at only 430 kg per hectare, as against the national average of around 750 kg per hectare. “Local farmers need training in new methods of cultivation to improve the yield,” she added.
GFDC plantations grow only the authentic Goan variety of cashews and not the Vengurla variety that is making inroads into the state.
The rejuvenation is done through grafting, planting saplings, seed germination, etc.
Production of cashews at the plantations has grown by an average
of 2.5 per cent post-rejuvenation.
This year, GFDC grew 80,000 cashew seedlings, of which 60,000 are being used in-house, while the remaining have been sold to farmers. A total of 300 farmers are involved in cultivating cashews on GFDC land.
Rane said that record cashew prices during the ongoing season, as well as the higher support price of Rs 170 per kg, are benefiting farmers in the state. A total of 2,500 farmers in Sattari taluka are beneficiaries of the hiked support price and have received Rs 3 crore in total. GFDC cashew plantations are auctioned to farmers at the start of the season.
Rane spoke ahead of
the three-day Goa Cashew Fest 2025, scheduled from April 25-27.
She noted that Goan Feni will be the only liquor sold at the festival. A highlight of the event will be the launch of GI-marked feni by Cazcar Distillery, the only distillery to receive GI certification.
