PROSPECTS OF CASHEW CULTIVATION IN KARNATAKA

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an evergreen important money spinner crop of waste, marginal and degraded lands of many states in India. India being the largest producer (60%) and exporter of cashew kernels in the world has 9,23,000 ha area and produces 6,13,000 t of cashew with an average national productivity of 695 kg/ha. Karnataka is a prominent state in cashew production occupying 5th position in area (1,18,000 ha) ranking 6th in production (53,000 t) with an average productivity of 461 kg/ha which is much less than the national average. Dakshina Kannada district has the highest area of cashew in Karnataka, followed by Udupi, Belgaum, Chickballapur, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Kolar. The average productivity of Udupi (2,080 kg) and Uttara Kannada (2,050 kg) is almost three times the national productivity. However, in other districts the productivity is on par with the national average. The state is bestowed with many research stations working on cashew including the Directorate of Cashew Research, Puttur, Horticulture Research Station, Ullal and AICRP on Cashew at Chintamani dedicated for research, establishment and growth of cashew industry in Karnataka by releasing several high yielding cultivars suitable for both coastal and plain regions. The cultivars recommended for cultivation in Karnataka have longer bearing season with better kernel yield (28-33%). The average yield of these cultivars ranges between 9-21 kg/tree/year after 10 years of planting, producing medium sized (6-9 g) nuts. Reasons for lower yields in Karnataka include old and senile orchards, seedling originated farms, waste and degraded soils and poor production technologies. There is an urgent need to orient farmers about profitability, economics, scientific production technologies like use of improved cultivars, high density planting, integrated management of nutrition and pests, advanced postharvest handling and processing technologies, etc. Karnataka has an area of 4.15 lakh ha of marginal and waste land apart from 21,217 ha of mined area which rightly suits the cultivation of cashew that is being extensively cultivated in degraded soils. Thus, cashew is an excellent crop that may be promoted to grow profitably, especially in the mined areas of Tumkur, Koppal, Bellary, Chitradurga and Raichur districts.