Srikakulam Cashew Wins Best National Award Under ODOP
Farmers and experts across Srikakulam district are celebrating this recognition as validation of their years of innovation and hard work.
Visakhapatnam: Srikakulam’s signature crop – cashew – has won the Best National Award in 2025 in horticulture under the One District, One Product (ODOP) programme. This award will be presented at a ceremony in New Delhi on July 14.
Farmers and experts across Srikakulam district are celebrating this recognition as validation of their years of innovation and hard work.
According to district horticulture officer Ratnala Varaprasad, Srikakulam region has emerged as a cashew powerhouse under the ODOP initiative. Approximately 24,000 hectares are dedicated to cashew cultivation, with 22,000 hectares in full production. More than 105,000 farming families depend on cashew for their livelihoods, including 31,000 marginal households, 56,000 smallholders, and 18,000 larger estates.
Growers are increasingly planting high-performance grafts, such as BPP-6, BPP-8, and V-4, alongside traditional seedlings, which contribute to both increased yield and income.
Government interventions have greatly accelerated this transformation. Following Cyclone Titli, 8,900 hectares of ageing orchards had been rejuvenated and 2,850 hectares had been newly planted with funding of ₹14.6 crore under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) and the Cashew Sub-Scheme.
Additionally, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) supported 3,000 hectares of planting.
Srikakulam district has value-added infrastructure widely available. There are 27 collection centres, as well as conventional and solar cold rooms and pack houses. These enable Farmer Producer organisations to sort, grade and store cashew nuts.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, in partnership with SIDBI, NABARD and private banks, ensures access to affordable credit for equipment and working capital.
On the marketing front, Srikakulam has hosted international MSME Day events, Cashew Expos in Palasa, and participated in buyer-seller meetings in New Delhi and Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Digital channels are also thriving; ODOP-tagged cashew kernels are now available on platforms, such as GeM, ONDC, Amazon, Meesho and IndiaMART.
