<p></p><p>The State government is considering direct import of raw cashew nuts from African countries for public and cooperative sector cashew factories, Minister for Cashew Industry J. Mercykutty Amma has said. “Now we depend on middlemen who operate as suppliers.” The Minister said this at a function organised at Perumpuzha near here on Monday to inaugurate the reopening of the cooperative-sector Kerala Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society (Capex) cashew factories which had been lying closed for the past couple of months. <br></p> <p>Last week, the Minister inaugurated the reopening of the public-sector Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation factories.She said that while all the 30 factories of the KSCDC which had been lying closed for the past one year had been reopened, all 10 factories of Capex would start operations on Tuesday. Ms. Mercykutty Amma said that the Capex and KSCDC would be strengthened so as to enable them to make strong interventions in the cashew sector. <br></p> <p>The Minister said that for the modernisation of these factories, Rs.100 crore had been allocated in this year’s budget and Rs.25 crore from that had been released. Capex and KSCDC factories together had about 16,000 workers.Their potential needed to be fully tapped for meeting the target of enabling both the establishments make strong interventions in the sector, she said. Vacancies in Capex and KSCDC would be filled after Onam.<br></p><p></p>