How Villupuram in Tamil Nadu Is Seeing A Boom in Organic Cashew Farming

Cashew nut farming is one of Tamil Nadu’s most well-known plantation crops, along with rubber, tea, coffee, cocoa, coconut, and bamboo.

Cashew crops grow well and provide amazing yields when grown organically in the Villupuram district’s Marakkanam, Koliyanur, Kandamangalam, and Vanur districts. The District Horticulture Department’s Assistant Director Venkatesan recently provided clarification on cashew production methods.

Farmers in the Koliyanur region, which includes the villages of Melpadi, Garlapadu, Sengadu, Elangadu, Kuruvankottai, Pathirikuppam, and Thensangampalayam, use traditional techniques to grow cashews on 500 acres. The Horticulture Department supports these farmers by providing planting materials valued at Rs 4,800 per acre under the Farmers’ New Planting Scheme.

Older cashew groves—more than 20 years old—generally produce less. The Horticulture Department provides planting supplies and other necessities worth Rs 8,000 per acre to revitalize these orchards. In addition, 20-farmer groups are organized to grow cashew crops organically and conventionally, with the goal of obtaining certification for organic farming.

The Department of Horticulture provides training and inputs to support cashew and organic growing. They also help farmers with insect infestations and inadequacies in crop management. The Assistant Director, Venkatesan, makes sure that cashew crops are personally inspected and gives growers professional guidance.

June to December is the best season to grow cashews, and in East Coast regions, November to December is when fertilizer is usually used. The best months to chose are March and May. Smooth, well-filled, greyish-green cashew nuts are indicative of quality. Nuts are sun-dried for two to three days after harvesting in order to lower the moisture content by ten to twelve percent. Following that, they are placed in alkane bags and kept for six months.

For farmers in the Villupuram area, this all-encompassing approach to cashew cultivation—which combines conventional techniques with contemporary support—guarantees sustainable practices and premium harvests.