KOLLAM: The cashew industry, amid its ill plight for the past several years, showed a positive growth in sales as the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) expanded its market presence. Sales of Rs. 5.50 crore have been recorded this Onam season as against last year's Rs. 85 lakhs.
The Corporation had promoted indigenous cashew plantation eyeing on self sufficiency in cashew production.
This Onam season, it had hit the market with locally produced cashew apart from depending upon imports. Special discount of 25 percent has been announced by the Corporation and will be available until September 20.
The cashew produced from the plantations in Aralam under the Kerala State Plantation Corporation was of the highest demand, the KSCDC authorities said.
The jumbo sized cashew kernels processed in traditional style from the raw cashew produced also had several customers. Other value-added products including cashew soda, cashew pine jam and other products from cashew nuts such as Cashew Vita, Cashew Bits, Cashew Soup, and Cashew Powder were also in the markets contributing to the profit of the Corporation.
