The farmers belonging to tribal community of Devarapalli mandal in Anakapalle district, backed by the leaders of the CPIM, tribal association, staged a protest and demanded from the government to facilitate procurement of cashew nuts through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs).
Visakhapatnam:The farmers belonging to tribal community of Devarapalli mandal in Anakapalle district, backed by the leaders of the CPIM, tribal association, staged a protest and demanded from the government to facilitate procurement of cashew nuts through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs). The protesters also urged the government to fix the MSP (minimum support price) of Rs 16,000 for an 80 kg bag of cashew nuts.
The agitating farmers pointed out the challenges being faced by them in the absence of MSP. The traders pay a maximum of `7,000 for a specific quantity of cashew nuts. Explaining further, the farmers said that this disparity exists because the government does not provide the MSP for the cashew crop.
Therefore, the farmers urged the government to address the issue of procuring cashew nuts through Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) at the MSP and the matter should come up for discussion during the Assembly sessions.
In addition to the MSP, the farmers were demanding compensation for those who suffered crop damage. Apart from this, they were calling for setting up of a dedicated cashew nut Board, which would help in approving loans for cashew nut farming as well as registration of e-crops.
D. Venkanna, CPM’s Anakapalle district secretary, said that approximately 25 kg of cashews could be extracted from a bag containing 80 kg of nuts. The prevailing price of `800 per kg equates to an earning of `20,000. The processing cost for the 80 kg bag of cashew nuts is approximately `2,000. “So, even if the government fixes the price at `16,000, there would still be a profit margin for traders. They will be benefitting from selling cashew husks and other by-products.”
B.T. Dora, CPM’s Devarapalli mandal secretary, urged the government that the import of foreign cashew nuts should be permitted only after procuring the crops grown locally. Additionally, he was advocating for supply of quality cashew saplings developed by research institutions, to farmers as well as allocation of `9,000 per acre for orchard development through the MGNREGA scheme.
