The Hindu Business Line : `Cashew apples may help bring in additional revenue'

A Rs 400-crore business potential is waiting to be tapped in the country's cashew sector, provided all the stakeholders in the sector take steps to realise it.

The annual production of raw cashew nut in the country is estimated at four lakh tonnes, and this translates into an availability of around four million cashew apple in plantations.

Mr G. Giridhar Prabhu, Convenor, Vision 2020 Committee, Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI), told Business Line that cashew apple could be used for the preparation of ready-to-serve (RTS) drinks in the unfermented product sector and for the manufacture of cashew liquor in the fermented product sector.

"If the colossal waste of cashew apple is prevented and put into use, it will help generate additional 20 per cent realisation to the growers at an aggregate of about Rs 400 crore for the country," he said.

Cashew apple is rich in vitamin C and minerals, and possesses some of the medicinal properties.

Inhibiting factors

Some inhibiting factors for the use of cashew apple are its astringency nature and it needs to be used within a few hours of plucking.

New technology

The Cashew Research Station of the Kerala Agricultural University at Madakkathara in Thrissur district has prepared a technology on cashew apple processing for the RTS drink. If implemented commercially, this would be a low-cost, viable and nutrient drink during the summer months, Mr Giridhar Prabhu said.

Fermented cashew apple juice can be used in the preparation of cashew liquor. Goa is the only place in the country where cashew apples are being used for the preparation of cashew `feni'.

The CEPCI visualises exports of 2.75 lakh tonnes of cashew kernels in 2020 as against the present 1.15 lakh tonnes. This requires Indian raw nut production to be increased to 1.9 million tonnes by then.