The Northeastern Regional Agricultural Marketing and Cooperative (NERAMAC) has agreed to purchase cashew nuts directly from cultivators in Tripura. This follows a tripartite agreement, an official release said.
NERAMAC bought the first consignment of cashew from south Tripura at Rs 27 a kilogram.
Tripura is fast emerging as a cashewnut producing state. This year the state is expecting a crop of 4,000 tonnes of raw nuts. The state's climate and soil are found to be suitable for cashew cultivation and the area of plantation is increasing over the years following greater demand.
However, the cultivators have yet to learn modern methods of horticulture. To encourage and modernize cashew cultivation, NERAMAC has prepared a ten-year perspective plan being implemented from 2002.
The perspective plan has identified orange, pineapple, mango, banana, litchi, jackfruit, papaya, cashew nuts, areca nut, coconut, black pepper, ginger, capsicum, betel vine, summer cabbage and summer cauliflower for development.
The plan also proposes the promotion of orchids, anthurium, vanilla and mushroom cultivation. The state plans to bring 12,750 hectares under horticulture cultivation during the plan period.
