Mangaluru : The Karnataka Cashew Development Corporation will launch ‘A cashew tree for a house’ programme and distribute cashew seedlings to every house, said the newly appointed Chairman of the Corporation Mamata Gatty in Mangaluru on Monday.

Talking to reporters after opening the new office of the Corporation, Ms. Gatty said cashew fruit is more nutritious and has five times more Vitamin C than Oranges. Ancestors ate a good amount of cashew fruit grown in the trees in the backyard. Now, people eat cashews and are less aware of the nutritious value of cashew fruit because of absence of cashew trees in the backyard.

Therefore, the corporation will launch “A cashew tree for a house” programme and distribute cashew saplings to every house. A decision about the programme will be taken in the board meeting of the Corporation, which will be called in a week’s time, Ms. Gatty said.

Cashew crop, which is now turned into a commercial crop, greatly helped farmers during financial distress. Though cashew cultivation has come down in recent years with farmers moving to arecanut and coconut, Karnataka stands in sixth place in terms of cashew production. The corporation has cashew orchards in 25,629 hectres of land in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, and Shivamogga districts. The corporation has earned revenue of Rs.493.43 lakh in 2021-22 and Rs 414.10 lakh in 2022-23 from cashew. Steps are being taken for further development of orchards, she said.

Ms. Gatty said a proposal will be sent to Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre to release Rs 50 crores for the development of cashew nurseries and enrichment of cashew orchards. The Corporation has also sought Rs 10 crore under National Horticulture Mission and Rs 8 crore under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Corporation’s Managing Director Kamala K. said the yield of cashew in Karnataka was at 450 kg per hectre as against a national average of 700 kg per hectre. Because of untimely rain in December last year, the cashew yield has been affected this year.