18 Sept 2025
Mangaluru: Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, on Friday stressed the need for India’s cashew industry to become Atmanirbhar in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of self-reliance. She was speaking after inaugurating the Kaju Centennial Summit 2025, organised by the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers Association (KCMA) to mark 100 years of organised cashew processing in Mangaluru, regarded as the birthplace of India’s cashew industry.
Highlighting India’s productivity gap, Karandlaje said cashew yields in the country remain significantly lower than global benchmarks. “Vietnam produces around 1,300 kg of cashew per hectare, while India’s yield is only about 674 kg per hectare. This reflects structural challenges in our production system,” she said. She added that India continues to depend heavily on imports of agricultural commodities, including cashew nuts and pulses, noting that nearly one million tonnes of pulses are imported annually.
The minister pointed out that the area under cashew cultivation has been shrinking due to farmers’ lack of confidence in adopting high-yielding varieties and the growing impact of climate change. To address these challenges, the central government is encouraging research institutions to intensify work on high-yielding and climate-resilient cashew varieties, with the long-term objective of reducing import dependence.
“There is a need for careful planning and sustained support for the cashew sector until the country becomes self-sufficient. Given that a large number of farmers, traders and workers depend on this industry, the Government of India will continue to stand with the sector,” Karandlaje said.
She also underlined the need for greater automation in cashew processing. While Vietnam has achieved nearly 85% automation, India’s cashew industry continues to rely largely on manual processes, she said, calling for technological upgradation to improve efficiency and competitiveness. Referring to the setbacks faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said efforts are required to revive closed units and strengthen the sector.
The MSME Ministry, she added, is considering measures to encourage farmers to expand cashew cultivation and to extend the industry’s footprint to new regions. A meeting of stakeholders will be convened to address key issues related to production, imports and exports.
Emphasising global market access, Karandlaje also called for a stronger focus on food safety and quality standards to ensure wider international acceptance of Indian cashew products.
The event was attended by Sri Vishwaprasanna Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt, Udupi–Chikmagalur MP Kota Shrinivas Poojary, MLAs Bhagirathi Murulya, D. Vedavyas Kamath and Kiran Kumar Kodgi, KCMA President A.K. Rao, and other industry representatives.