PANJIM: The Goa’s famous cashew nut processing industry that has strived and succeeded in capturing the world market could be in peril with its African cousins invading the market and being passed off as local.
Cashew nuts from Africa are now being imported and sold in Goa and tourists who take away these goodies to be distributed among friends and relatives home have now knowledge that they are being taken for a ride.
Agriculture Minister Ravi Naikon Wednesday warned of stern action against those importing cashew nuts from other countries and selling them in the State as Goa cashewnuts.
Over a decade ago, most of the cashew nuts were processed and sold in Goa were procured from local farmers but it is no longer so today, said a cashew processor.
Another cashew farmer lamented that whatever was brought to the market was sold, but today the traders are very choosy and segregate the best and discard the rest as a result of which the locals suffer.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of Millet Utsav at Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan, Naik said that he had already given instructions to the inspectors of the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to conduct raids against those found involved in misbranding of Goa cashew nuts.
“There are some people who import raw cashew nuts from African countries and process them in the State and sell them as Goa cashew nuts. The tourists visiting the State purchase these nuts as they are unaware of the real Goan cashew nuts. The misbranding of Goa cashew nuts has to be stop,” Naik said,
Meanwhile, Director of Agriculture Nevil Alphonso said that the Directorate of Agriculture had till date received as many as 850 suggestions to the draft Agriculture Policy.
Stating that the government has plans to finalise and release the Agriculture Policy for Goa by January next year, Alphonso said that the aim is to make the agriculture policy farmer-centric, which willdetermine the roadmap for the development of agriculture in the State.
Most of the suggestions have been received from farmers societies, group of farmers and individuals, he said hoping additional suggestions from various village panchayats who recently discussed the policy during the special gram sabhas held on Gandhi Jayanti.
The government will also hold taluka-level consultations soon so as to receive suggestions and inputs from the people. “We will welcome each and every suggestion and inputs from the farmers,” he said.