NT Reporter
Panaji
Goa’s cashew yield dropped significantly in 2025-26, according to the latest crop estimates from the Union Ministry of Agriculture.
The ministry’s second advance estimates place the state’s cashew production at 17,870 tonnes – a 28% drop from 2024-25, when the Goa Directorate of Agriculture reported an average yield of 24,882 tonnes.
State government data indicates that Goa’s cashew output had previously stagnated, holding steady between 24,000 and 25,000 tonnes for several years.
Despite the decline, the central ministry highlighted Goa as a key contributor to the Konkan belt, which includes coastal Maharashtra and Karnataka. The region’s total cashew production reached 266.48 thousand tonnes in 2025-26, with Maharashtra producing 1,82,790 tonnes, Karnataka contributing 65,820 tonnes, and Goa providing 17,870 tonnes.
Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur clarified that the government tracks horticulture data state-by-state rather than by region, and does not maintain separate records for cashew by-products. He said that several initiatives are under way to strengthen cultivation, processing and value addition to support growers and entrepreneurs.
Through the Directorate of Cashew nut and Cocoa Development (DCCD) in Kochi, cashew development programmes under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) focus on improving productivity, expanding crop acreage, promoting value addition and driving technological adoption. For post-harvest support, MIDH offers financial assistance covering up to 35% of the capital cost (capped at Rs 12.2 lakh) to establish or upgrade primary processing units for drying, grading and minimal processing, the minister said.
The Centre also funds production and processing projects through the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana based on state
proposals.
Furthermore, primary processing units can access the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, which provides a 3% interest subvention and credit guarantee benefits to boost sector infrastructure, he said.
