Gadag: Cashew growers of Gadag and the neighbouring districts can now more than double their earnings from the produce as Hulkoti has got a new processing unit under the National Rurban Mission run by the Union govt. The unit is set up on two acres donated by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of Hulkoti. DR Patil, chairman, KVK, Hulkoti, told TOI, previously, cashew growers used to send their produce to Mangaluru or Goa [for processing] at a cost of Rs 100 per kg. “Now, by processing nuts in Gadag itself, they can add value to their yield and earn about Rs 250 per kg for their yield, which is more-than double heir current earning. Cashew growers contribute about Rs 1.1 crore to the district’s economy and this contribution may go up by 2-3 times from next year,” Patil said. Dr LG Hiregoudar, secretary, KVK, Hulkoti, said more than 500 growers are cultivating the crop on approximately 2,000 acres of land.
“The nut processing unit has been set up at a cost of Rs one crore by Hulkoti gram panchayat and Gadag zilla panchayat, while we have donated land worth Rs 2 crore. The Hulkoti Horticulture Farmer Producers Company will maintain the unit. Farmers can either get the nuts processed at Rs 25 per kg and sell them on their own or they can sell the raw nut to FPO and get an additional 2% over the market price,” Dr Hiregoudar added. “Thanks to its quality, the processed variety of Gadag cashew nuts are being sold at a minimum price of Rs 1,000 per kg. Four kg of raw nuts yield one kg of processed nut. Going by this calculation, growers stand to earn a minimum of Rs 250 per kg for their yield,” he further explained. Dr Sudha Mankani, head, KVK, said KVK has been training and sensitising farmers to grow cashew nut since 2008. “As a result, growers have produced more than 100 tonnes of cashew in the last 1-2 years and the new unit can now process two tonnes of nuts daily,” she said.