News
Pity the cashew growers
View(s):Despite high cashew prices and a demand for exports due to a demand for high quality cashew products, growers complain they receive very low prices for their product.
Story and pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe.
One such badly affected area is Vanathavilluwa, where around 15,000 acres of land has been brought under cashew cultivation.
Cashew growers claim, that despite there being a high demand for Vanathavilluwa cashew nuts, declining prices pose a major problem to the growth of the industry.
It was in this background the Samurdhi Cashew Model Village at Vijayapura West -Vanathavilluwa was formed. Through the society cashew growers obtained loans amounting to Rs. 1,000,000 – Rs 1500,000/- .
S. Sasila Sanjeewani a member of the society said, ‘our organisation enabled us to make a profit from the sale of our produce. But at this stage the Easter Sunday bombing took place and there was a sudden drop in price. Our sales too dropped sharply.
These female cashew growers say they have a stock of over five lakhs worth cashew each, ready for market. But the asking price is very low. They said the price they received was insuffucuent to cover loan repayment.
“Buyers offer Rs 1,600/- to 1,700/-for a kg of cashew. But to make a profit after loan repayment, we need to sell our produce at, at least at Rs. 2,000/- . Otherwise we will be at a loss.”
We have taken loans amounting to Rs 1,000,000/- to Rs 1,500,000/.”, another cultivator said.
Project Asst. Samurdhi Development Sector, S.K.A.Nalin Samantha, who initiated this Cashew Model Village at Vanathwilluwa told the Sunday Times ‘I did what the Cashew Corporation should have done for the betterment of these women. But low market prices are killing the initiative
This mouth-watering product is extremely expensive... but only the middle man makes a profit
Despair written large on her face cashew cultivator sits with stocks of her unsold product.
Members of the Samurdhi Cashew Model Village at Vijayapura Westpacketing their product.
Cutting the shell to get the kernal out is a time-consuming and difficult task
Despite large stocks available and high market prices, cashew cultivators are unable to get a decent return for their products