The In-charge Director of Directorate of Cashew Research Centre, Puttur, M.G. Nayak, has urged cashew farmers to plant high-yielding cashew varieties by adopting modern planting methods to boost cashew production and productivity.
He was addressing a gathering at a farmers’ meet organised by the research station in its premises in Puttur on Saturday. Mr. Nayak said that the meet was required to share new experiments by farmers and scientists in planting, harvesting and processing of cashew. It would help farmer-to-farmer learning. The meet had been organised on the occasion of the foundation day of the research station.
In addition to cashew growers, nursery owners, NGO representatives, scientists and officials from farm related departments participated. Progressive farmer D.C. Chowta who was the chief guest said that farmers should be able to fix price for their produces. Farmers should take up farming as a happy enterprise.
Two cashew growers — Sheenappa Gowda, and Dhooma Malekudiya — were felicitated on the occasion. Venkatesh N. Hubballi, Director of Directorate of Cashewnut and Cocoa Development Board, Kochi, explained about the facilities farmers getting from the directorate. The renovated website of the institute (http://cashew.icar.gov.in) was launched on the occassion. Two technical handouts on ‘high density planting in cashew’ and ‘post harvest technologies for commercialisation in cashew’ were also released, a press release said.