https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Brand ‘Jashpur Cashew’ Set to Bring Name, Fame and Moolah to Chhattisgarh

In Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh, cashew cultivation is being taken up in a big way. Widespread cultivation, setting up of processing units, and agressive marketing popularising Jashpur’s cashew beyond the borders of the state. The state government is eyeing to tap the markets outside the state as Jaspur Cashew has the potential to become a source of huge revenue.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The popular dry fruit, cashew, is changing the lives of farmers in the tribal-dominated Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh. Till now, these farmers were growing one crop a year – paddy – and their income was limited. But now, with cashew cultivation, they are getting income throughout the year.

The district administration, too, is promoting cashew cultivation on a large scale in a bid to convert Jashpur into a cashew centre. Jashpur cashew is being marketed locally and even outside, to popularise the brand as it has the potential to become a source of huge revenue for the state.

Indian Masterminds interacted with 2012-batch IAS officer and District Collector of Jashpur, Mr. Ritesh Kumar Agrawal, to get more details about this cashew initiative.

IAS Ritesh Kumar Agrawal, Collector, Jashpur (Credit: His Twitter)

BRAND JASHPUR CASHEW

In the five development blocks of Jashpur – Kunkuri, Duldula, Kansabel, Pathalgaonand Farsabahar – more than 8000 farmers farmers are now directly engaged in cashew cultivation and more than 2 lakhs 50 thousand cashew plants have been planted.

Other than the farmers, thousands of people are indirectly involved in cashew cultivation, providing a source of livelihood to them. Women of various self-help groups (SHGs) clean cashew nuts together on cashew machines, package them and sell them in the market, which earns them a good profit of about Rs. 3 lakhs a year. The district administration has also provided them with the facility of a Cashew Processing Unit. These women are now financially independent and contributing to the family income.

CASHEW CULTIVATION

District Collector Ritesh Kumar Agrawal told Indian Masterminds, “Cashew is being cultivated here for a long time and we are continuously expanding it. We are promoting it through self-help groups. We collect the cashew through them and Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO). The establishment of a processing unit and marketing under the brand has helped eliminate the intermediary. Thus, everything is under control, from providing support to farmers in farm produce to selling unfinished products, processing, and finally selling finished products under one brand.”

The administration is also increasing the area of plantation and processing capacity. Processing is already being done on a large scale after the opening of the processing unit.

“Our government is focussing on increasing income of the farmers through food processing. So, we are increasing the processing capacity,” Mr. Agrawal said.

Although it takes about 3 to 4 years for cashew nuts to be ready for plucking, the plantation is carried out every year under MNREGA and the forest department, with the objective to provide employment to villagers at the local level.

“There is actually convergence of many schemes in this. An employment mission has started in Chhattisgarh, and in the coming time, we will link cashew cultivation to it,” Mr. Agrawal informed.

Since cashew has a wide market, besides the local market, it is exported outside the state, too. As a result, farmers are being able to increase their income. The district administration has been successful in achieving the primary objective of providing good prices to the farmers for their produce.

FROM KERALA TO CHHATTISGARH

In India, Kerala is the highest producer of cashew because of its location close to the sea. Cashew tree is a fast-growing tropical tree, which gives high yields in coastal areas. Most of the coastal areas in Asian countries are large areas of cashew production.

But, for a landlocked state like Chhattisgarh to be successfully cultivating cashew, is indeed remarkable. The cashew farmers of Jashpur have set an example by producing it successfully in their district, with active support from the administration.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Hindustan Shipyard Limited HSL
PESB Declines to Recommend CMD for Hindustan Shipyard; Ministry May Extend Current Chief’s Tenure
IAS Ajitabh Sharma
“80% of Time Spent on Non-Core Tasks”: Rajasthan Principal Secretary Ajitabh Sharma Questions IAS Work Culture, Calls for Reform
Nitin Gadkari
India to Become Net Energy Exporter in 6-7 Years, Highlights Hydrogen and Biofuels: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari
Bank of India - BOI
Bank of India Plans to Raise Rs 20,000 Crore via Infrastructure Bonds in FY 2025-26
BEML Limited
For Operational Excellence, BEML Lays Foundation of State-of-the-Art Central Warehousing Centre in Bilaspur
rec-logo
Green Energy Boost: REC Forms New Subsidiary for 3GW Ananthapuram-II REZ Transmission Project
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
CM Bhupendra Patel’s Pro-People Move: Uniform House Tax of ₹200 Annually for Rural Government-Assisted Homes in Gujarat
CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar: Gaya to Become Bihar’s Largest Industrial Township Under AKIC; ₹16,524 Cr Investment Expected
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
Iran Is Weakest Now, Needs a Face-Saver
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
Retired Officers Lead 7-Day Mission to Revive Betwa River with 55 Check Dams | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Hindustan Shipyard Limited HSL
PESB Declines to Recommend CMD for Hindustan Shipyard; Ministry May Extend Current Chief’s Tenure
IAS Ajitabh Sharma
“80% of Time Spent on Non-Core Tasks”: Rajasthan Principal Secretary Ajitabh Sharma Questions IAS Work Culture, Calls for Reform
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Former Diplomat Ashok Sajjanhar
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-23 at 12.39
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT