Productivity of Cashew Nut in Kerala, India: Recent Trend and Production Assessment

The study aims to examine the trend and pattern of cashew area, production, and productivity in Kerala, given the cashew market's bright future. Secondary data was acquired for the study from reputable sources such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for the period 2000–2020 (20 years). Kerala provided only 8.5 percent area and 12.37 percent output in India's total area (1125'000 ha) and production (703'000 MT) in the previous year (2020). During the study period, the trend in area, production, and productivity showed a negative compound annual growth rate. This is primarily due to the fact that many farmers have switched to more lucrative crops such as rubber and other plantations. They discovered that these crops are more profitable than cashew, and that, when compared to plantation crops, cashew is still confined to marginal and poor fertile areas, and that it is seen as a wasteland crop, with the suggested package of practises not being followed. As a result, production and productivity declined. Farmers will benefit if they tap the opportunities of increasing demand of cashew in India and at the world level with the government support. The government may pay farmers with subsidies to transplant old plants with high-yielding cultivars, resulting in increased output.