<p>PANAJI: Over the years the production of cashew nuts has increased in the state and this year cashew trees have already started blooming early, making the agricultural department and cashew cultivators hope for a good yield.Assistant director of agriculture Chintamani Perni said the cashew trees have already started blooming and the climate is favourable for good cashew season, this year. They are hoping for a good cashew yield.</p> <p>In the year 2010-11 there was production of 23138 tonnes cashew nuts, while the production increased to 23804 tonne in the year 2012-13. “We are hoping for increase in the production during this cashew season than last year, he said, adding that it should not rain when cashew trees are in bloom. Rain damages cashew blossoms, affecting the yield of cashew nuts. As of now, climatic conditions are favourable for a good yield, he said. This year, the cashew cultivators too are hoping for a good crop. Lata, a farmer, said cashew trees have already been in bloom. This has been a good period for cashew cultivators and Lata is hoping for a bumper yield.</p> <p>“During this rainy season I planted more than 100 grafts. Every year we try to increase the number of cashew trees,” she said. Another farmer said, “As the cashew season nears we become busy as we need to complete the work of clearing bushes from the cashew plantations. We will remain busy till the end of the cashew season, and for most of the time we will be in hills collecting nuts and doing other cashew related works.”</p> <p>“Once we collect the nuts we sell them to a wholesaler… Rates are determined by various factors, such as market demand and also quality of nuts,” he said.In the state more than 55,000 hectares of land is covered by cashew trees and slowly more land will be brought under cashew cultivation. There is still scope for improvement in the cashew yield. If one visits a cashew plantation one will find the distance between two or more trees is quite large. This points to a possibility that more trees could be planted at these spaces, so that the density of tress per hectare increases and optimum density could be achieved. If this method is adopted then there would be an increase in yield without increasing the area under cultivation. “The local variety of a cashew tree gives on an average 2 to 3 kg of nuts per season, while the high yielding varieties cashew trees give around 10 to 15 kg of nuts per season The agriculture department provides subsidy to farmers for purchase of high-yielding grafts,” Perni said.</p> <p> </p>