Indian farmers seek compensation after Cuddalore cashew production drops 75%
Unlike paddy farmers, cashew farmers faced the heat only in March, when the flowers on trees began to wither in the broiling temperatures. Panruti is famous for cashew nuts and thousands of families are employed in its farming and its processing works.
“Though the flowers were not of a high standard, due to poor monsoon rains, at least the flowers did bloom. Just as we were hoping that the flowers would develop into fruits, the high mercury levels played spoilsport. All the flowers had withered. When paddy farmers were demanding drought-relief, the situation had not taken a turn for the worse for us. But now, the entire cashew plantation has not produced any yield,” he said.
“Of the total 70,000 acres, nearly 68,000 acres are rainfed lands and the remaining acres have an irrigation facility. In the rainfed lands, the average yield obtained last year was 380 kg per acre but the yield obtained this year is 16 kg per acre. Similarly, in irrigated lands, the average yield obtained last year was 400 kg per acre but this year we just got 160 kg per acre. So there is a considerable shortfall in cashew yield in the district,” sources added.
source: newindianexpress.com
