Kerala government has convened a meeting of diplomats of 14 African nations as part of its effort to revive the sinking cashew sector in the state that provided job to more than two lakh people, majority of them women. The meeting to be held on June 28 and 29 here is to find ways to import raw cashew from African countries without middlemen at reasonable rate, Minister for Fisheries and Cashew, Mercykutty Amma said here today. Effort was also to make the Kerala Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala State Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Co-operative (CAPEX), the two agencies of the state engaged in cashew processing sector, profitable ventures. Cashew industries would sustain only if quality raw cashew was made available without any disruption and the government was making efforts in this regard, she said. The state exported 68,150 tonnes of cashew and cashew kernels in 2014-15.

Source: dna June 25, 2017 07:52 UTC