Prospect of cashew cultivation in Odisha: A review

Abstract

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a tropical tree introduced to India by Portuguese during 16th century for the purpose of soil conservation and can be grown in waste land. Then onwards it’s become a major cash earning crop for India and cashew nut is the most valuable processed nuts traded on the global commodity markets. In Odisha most of the coastal regions occupied with cashew plantation but the productivity of cashew in Odisha as well as India is too low. Generally, cashew grown areas of Odisha is covered with seedling origin plants and no proper care and management has been taken out by the farmers to get and to maximize the yield per unit areas. So, in this paper discussion has done about benefits of cashew cultivation and to increase the productivity of cashew in our state. By use of good quality planting materials, adoption scientific cultivation methodology, use of technology after all awareness of cashew grower can increase production of cashew as well as strengthen the livelihood of farmers.