By ALBERT FERNANDES | NT
POINGUINNIM: The cashew crop has become a crop with high export potential, and several families in Canacona taluka earn their living from the fruits of this crop. As per available data, as many as 10,000 families, based mainly in Gaondongrem, Cotigao, Khola, Gulem and Shristhal, depend on this crop for their livelihood.

Some people from Khola and Cotigao, who are engaged in the cashew trade say that the Goan climate is ideal for cashew cultivation. The Cashew plants can be cultivated in any soil, where water drains away and does not stagnate. They also need plenty of sunlight, hence, one usually finds cashew plantations on hills.
As the trees in most existing plantations in Goa are raised from seedlings, the yield varies from tree to tree. The average annual yield per local tree is between 1.5 kg to 2 kg of cashew nuts, however, if the tree is a graft of improved variety, then the yield is anywhere between 8 to 10 kg nuts per year.
The Zonal Agriculture Officer (ZAO), Mr Rajesh Desai, said that the total area in Goa presently under cashew cultivation is around 55,000 hectares and the average yield in kilos per hectare is around 395-400 kgs. On an average, the total production per season is around 21,942 tonnes.
Mr Desai informed that the Canacona taluka has about 3300 hectares under this crop, and the total production yield is about 18 lakh kg of cashew nuts per season. He informed that Canacona has about 3000 families engaged in the cashew trade, about 7000 workers are involved in the work during the cashew season.
The ZAO further pointed that successful cashew plantation depends on proper selection of the variety suited for the particular agro-climatic conditions. Though many high yielding varieties have been introduced in the country, there are a few that have proved to be more profitable than others.
Giving more details, he said, the Vengurla-4 is one such tree that if maintained well, then a 10-year-old tree can yield about 8-10 kg of cashew nuts per tree per year. He said the Vengurla-7 has an average yield of about 10 kg per year, whereas Balli/Goa-1 variety has a very bold apple, as well as a fat nut and the tree produces about 8-10 kg nuts per year.  
Mr Desai informed that grafts should be planted immediately on commencement of the monsoon.
At the time of planting, care should be taken to keep the soil-ball intact, so that the root system is not damaged, and the graft should be planted in the pit along with the soil-ball. Mr Desai pointed that in hilly areas grafts should be planted a little deeper in the pit. The planting should be followed with mulching with dried or green leaves, to maintain moisture, control weeds and regulate soil temperature, said the ZAO.
Mr Desai said that crescent shaped trenches are an effective manner of conserving moisture around the base of the plant, and that a farmer can avail a benefit of Rs 25 per trench dug.
A progressive farmer from Poinguinnim, Mr F Y Prabhugaonkar, who has about 400 cashew trees, adopted this method and found that the yield had increased considerably.  Another farmer, Mr Gautam Prabhudesai, also used this method in his 1500-tree plantation, and also profited from the higher yield.
Mr Desai said that now a new scheme of Jalkunds has been launched, where rain water can be stored for use during the dry season.
Mr Desai said subsidy scheme is available for rejuvenation of old cashew plantations and for new area expansion. Under the first scheme, cashew gardens raised by seed progeny and which needs to be upgraded with high yielding grafts, can be undertaken and the farmers opting for this scheme can plant Vengurla-4, 7, 8 and Balli-2 varieties. He said the subsidy in this case is Rs 15,000 for 1 hectare and a farmer also gets subsequent benefits from this scheme for the next three years.
In the new area expansion scheme, a farmer can avail subsidy to the tune of Rs 20,000 per hectare. Farmers can also avail subsidy for organic farming of cashew plants. Mr Desai informed that an assistance of Rs 10,000 per hectare can be availed for adoption and certification cost of organic farming in three installments over a period of three years, provided farmers are ready to come together and form a cluster of 50 hectares for accreditation.
Mr Desai said that pest control is vital for good yield and pointed that the notorious pest called Tea Mosquito bug, which is found on cashew trees throughout the year, is to be taken care of. The peak period of infestation is from October to March, which is the flushing, flowering and fruiting period. The other pest is Stem and Root Borer (Rontto) which too is found throughout the year. The peak period is from April-May and from September-November, Mr Desai pointed out.
The rate of cashew nuts is around Rs 45-50 per kg. In Canacona, the Goa Bhagayatdar and Adarsh Society and cashew processing units like Boruskar, M Acharya in Chiplem-Poinguinnim and Srinivas in Khola are the main procures of cashew nuts. Goa Bhagayatdar alone purchased around 70,000 kgs of cashew seeds last season.
According to the ZAO, for graft survival rate is high and this year, due to the continuous rains, a good cashew crop can be expected in the coming season. He said the Goan cashew apple is plucked only when it is ripe and that it is for this reason that the Goan cashew feni is of high quality. 
Canacona has about 40 cashew juice extracting machines, which do the work faster and more efficiently and farmers of large plantations find these machines very convenient. Mr Desai said that a Schedule Tribe farmer can avail a benefit of 70 per cent subsidy on the purchase of this machine, while a general category farmer can get a benefit of 50 per cent.