Panaji, Sep 9 (Inditop.com) Mining in Goa’s hinterland is eating into the state’s cashew production, growers of the nut say.
“Some of the best plantations in north and south Goa are being destroyed by mining activities,” said Goa Cashew Manufacturers Association president Madhav Sahakari here Wednesday.
“Mining operators are encroaching upon land used for cashew plantations. The companies dump ore rejects on our plantations,” Sahakari said at a press conference.
Goa, which is virtually synonymous with two popular cashew products — feni, a distilled alcohol made from juice extracted from the cashew fruit, and roasted cashew nuts — produces nearly 22,000 tonnes of nuts annually.
Cashew nut plantations, which dot the state’s countryside, are adjacent to more than 100 mining tracts, where nearly 33 million tonnes of iron, manganese and bauxite ore are extracted annually.
According to Sahakari, nearly 20,000 hectares are under cashew cultivation.
Ironically, while mining is hitting cashew nut production, Sahakari admitted old dumps of mining rejects or exhausted pits were ideal for starting plantations.
“Cashew can grow on any surface, even in cracks on rock surfaces. There have been successful experiments where some old mining dumps have been converted into cashew plantations,” he said.
“The mining industry should follow this path, rather than going about destroying plantations.”
