African cashews are processed in Pandharpur, Ojhewadi farmers are getting from the young processing industry.

Pandharpur: as well onion Farmers have been paid, but the price of brinjal or fruits and vegetables has fallen, due to which the farmer is in trouble. Farmers are getting ruined every time due to nature on one side and non-guaranteed prices of agricultural products on the other. On cashews (Cashew) Pandharpur (Pandharpur Agricultural News) A young man has set up a processing industry in the farm of Ojhewadi taluka and now he is earning lakhs of rupees.

Abhay Nagne, a young farmer is currently doing his MBA and at the same time he boldly started a cashew processing industry. Now he is processing one ton of cashews daily to produce high quality cashews. Interestingly, his goods are in such demand in the local market that his ready-made goods are being sold at high prices in the market.

Abhay Nagne is a young farmer from a very middle class family. Although his father was a teacher and he had only three acres of land at home, he started studying the agro-processing industry during his studies. Started a small cashew processing industry in his farm. Initially started by hand in a room, the industry has now become fully modernized in two years and processes a ton of cashew nuts daily. He first studied the raw material introducing the economics of cashews. Raw cashews produced in Konkan last only two months and are sold at high prices in the same region. Seeing this situation, he focused on bringing raw cashews from African countries and Abhay started getting better quality raw cashews from African countries at a lower price than Konkan. Abhay picks up 30 tonnes of raw material per month from Mangalore port and brings it to his farm in Ojhewadi. He gets this raw material for around 100 to 120 rupees. After this it is processed in the field itself in a shed built by Abhay.

Is it cashew processing?

Imported from 16 countries in Africa, these raw cashews are initially crushed in a grading machine to remove soil debris. This nut is then heated in a boiler with steam at 12.5 bar. It is then left to cool on the floor for 16 hours. After this, it is initially put into a cutting machine to break the hard layer on it. It is then put into a scooping machine and the nuts are extracted from it. These nuts are roasted for eight hours and then left to cool again for three hours. After this, the remaining leaves and other waste parts are removed from the pilling machine. After this, after roasting again for one and a half hours, the prepared cashews are ready for packing.

Economics of Cashew

Good quality raw cashew nuts reach the factory at Rs 120 to 125 per kg. The total cost of production of good quality cashew after complete processing is Rs.550 per kg including raw material. From one ton of raw cashews, about 250 kg of high quality cashews are ready for sale. It is bought from Rs 650 to Rs 1100 in the wholesale market. In the retail market, this cashew is selling at Rs 800 to 1300 per kg. That means the minimum income is Rs 100 per kg and the maximum is Rs 650 per kg. About 750 kg of waste generated after cashew processing is used for oil extraction, agricultural fertilizer. Boiler fuel is selling at Rs 13 to 15 per kg.

Standing on his own while studying on the side, Abhay wants other young farmers to join this profession. As the farmers are dependent on their own raw materials, they do not get the price in the market. Processing of any agricultural produce increases its value at least four times. This is the math he wants to explain to other young farmers. For this, Abhay is now preparing to grant the franchise of cashew processing industry. Although an investment of 50 to 60 lakh rupees is required to set up a processing plant of at least one tonne, there are huge subsidies from the central and state governments for setting up processing plants on agricultural produce. Abhay is ready to share all the raw materials, technology, market required for this industry.

At present, only Konkan and Kolhapur have cashew processing industries in the state. Our market is so big that we have to import lakhs of tons of nuts. Abhay believes that if we develop this cashew in our state and country, the young farmers will make a business worth crores. Abhay expressed confidence that if cashew cultivation is done on a large scale in our area, there will be no need to import raw materials from Africa and the farmers will also have a sustainable income of at least one lakh rupees per acre from raw materials. . Abhay says that we are all ready to guide the youth who want to start cashew processing industry in this way.