<p></p><p>The state may face an acute shortage of raw cashews, as the production of the fruit has dipped to 50% this year compared to the previous season. Goa was supposed to be at its peak of cashew production by April but farmers have been left disappointed with the available quantity of produce.Satish Tendulkar, director of agriculture, said Goa's average cashew production lies between 20 and 21 thousand ton per season which spans from January to June.Stating that the Bicholim, Sanguem, Valpoi, Canacona, Ponda and Quepem talukas are the main producers of cashew in the state, Tendulkar hopes the recent rain in some areas of Sanguem, Canacona, etc would give a slight respite to cashew-producing farmers.</p> <p>Goa Bagayatdar Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Society (GBSKVS) fears that there could be a sharp decline in cashew production this year due to fluctuation in the weather in Ponda taluka and several partsof the state recently. Speaking to TOI, GBSKVS chairman Narendra Sawaikar said the change in weather has destroyed cashew flowers. This, he said, will result in low production affecting the income of horticulturists.GBSKVS is one of the leading purchasers of raw cashew in Goa. During the previous season, the society had purchased a total of 2,200 tons of raw cashews from horticulturists. This year, till date the society has received just 760 tons of cashew. It could touch 1,500 tons by the end of the season, Sawaikar added. </p><p>Ponda zonal agricultural officer (ZAO) Nitin Bakhale said that since winter was prolonged till March this year it has affected crops. Crops need warm climate but the prolonged winter has caused the dropping of flowers, he said.Stating the flowering of cashew plants in January this year was satisfactory, he said immediate rains would help production flourish again.Claiming this year's situation has been worse than last year, Madhav Sahakari, the chairman of the Goa Cashew Processors' Association (GCPA) said the situation would compel them to import produce from foreign countries.GCPA has 22 cashew processing (manufacturing) factories as its members and need around 24 tons of raw cashews to run their factories uninterrupted for the year. The state produces only about 21 tons every year and they have to purchase cashews from other states, Sahakari said."This year we will be forced to import cashew from foreign countries like Africa, Indonesia, Congo, Thailand, Tanzania, etc," Sahakari said.<br></p><p></p>