<p></p><p>A State-level seminar on emerging trends in cashew farming will be held at the Kerala Agricultural University’s Cashew Research Station at Madakkathara near here on Saturday. The seminar organised by the KAU in collaboration with the Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development ( DCCD) will be inaugurated by Minister for Cooperation C.N. Balakrishnan in the presence of MLA M.P. Vincent, KAU Vice-Chancellor P. Rajendran and DCCD director Venkatesh N. Hubbaali. <br></p> <p>P.B. Pushpalatha, organising secretary of the seminar, said the seminar intended to educate farmers on new hybrid varieties, modern trends such as intercropping, and value addition techniques so that cashew farming in the State could be rejuvenated and reformed. <br></p> <h1>French delegation</h1> <p>Meanwhile, a delegation from SENS (Solidarités Entreprises Nord-Sud), a French entrepreneurship development company, which visited the Cashew Research Station at Madakkathara found the value-added products from cashew apple interesting and evinced interest in adopting the technologies for cashew apple processing in their units in Africa. <br></p> <p>“We have entrepreneurship development programmes in many countries. The state of Benin, which lies close to Nigeria, is the land of high quality cashew, which is being exported. But the cashew apple is fully wasted and the processing technologies available with the KAU seems a wonderful avenue to enhance farmers’ income,” said Anne Meyer of SENS.<br></p><p></p>