Need to boost cashew business units in Orissa

Orissa is the third largest cashew producing and processing state in India besides Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu at the top. The state officials figures indicate that the yield rate of cashew in Orissa is around 550 kg per hectare, compared to the national average of 650 to 700 kg per hectare.

There is wide scope for cashew export from Orissa says Rajendra Sabat, the president of Orissa Cashew Processors' Association. There are about 240 cashew processing units in the state and produce over 80 thousand tonnes of cashew annually.

Southern Orissa districts have most cashew producing and process units. Ganjam is at top with 80 units, while Gajapati and Koraput have 58 and 48 units respectively.