Cashew Farmers in Pudukottai Face Crisis Due to Falling Prices and Low Yields

Cashew farmers in the Pudukottai district, particularly in Gandharvakottai and Athanakottai, are grappling with severe economic distress driven by declining market prices and reduced agricultural yields. The sector, which covers nearly 5,000 acres, has yet to fully recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Gaja in 2018, as cashew trees require five to six years to become productive again. Currently, farmers face a significant drop in income, with prices per sack falling from ₹16,000 to approximately ₹12,000. There is a marked disparity between farm-gate prices, where traders buy at around ₹150 per kg, and retail prices, which range from ₹800 to ₹1,000 per kg after processing. The situation is exacerbated by an influx of cheaper imported cashews from African nations and global market disruptions linked to conflicts in West Asia. Since cashew cultivation is largely rain-fed and offers limited alternatives for crop switching, farmers remain dependent on this struggling industry. Local agricultural leaders and farmers are urgently appealing to the government to establish regional processing and export centers. They argue that such infrastructure would facilitate value addition, stabilize incomes, and generate employment opportunities, especially for women, thereby mitigating the current financial hardships.