Cashew nut processing units may opt for mechanisation

Cashew nut processing units may opt for mechanisation
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 14
Non-availability of labour may soon compel cashew nut processing units to opt for mechanisation.
Peeling machine used for peeling nuts is expensive and certainly out of the reach of small time factory owners. Machine cost anything between Rs 25 and 30 lakh.
Fall in processing capacity means low production and that makes it difficult to meet market demand for cashew nuts.
“Nine out of ten domestic tourists visiting Goa carry cashew nuts back home as a token of gift to friends and families,” says Prabhudessai, a shop owner in Panjim selling cashew nuts.
Madhav Sahakari, Chairman of Goa Cashew Manufacturers Association feels that the problem of scarcity of labour is grave one, and processing units have no way but to go for mechanisation.
“Processing units are not able to fully exploit processing capacity owing to shortage of labourers. In fact, only 50 per cent capacity of processing units gets utilised,” says Sahakari who is well acquainted with the crises in the industry.
Goa has around 35 to 40 units with a varying processing capacity but today all feel the pinch due to shortage of labour.
Factory owners feel that availability of jobs through government schemes such as National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) have affected their chances of getting labour to work in cashew nut processing factories. There is also a huge demand for labour in other sectors as well.
Most of the work in processing units needs to be done manually; need for labour is persistent throughout all five phases of processing – drying, roasting, shelling, peeling and grading.
Cashews are roasted after drying for two days. Nuts are then roasted in such a way that the by-product (shells) remains intact.
Shelling is also done manually though a new machine has been introduced recently.
In this scenario, there’s no hope for processing units unless they mechanise their operations to remain in the race.