Global alliance for cashew on the cards
Kochi (PTI): With a view to protecting their interests, a Global Alliance for Cashew consisting of three main cashew producers-- India, Brazil and Vietnam-- would be formed, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh on Friday said.
The headquarters of the alliance could be Kochi and there are pressures for locating it at Kollam, Bangalore and Mumbai, the Minister told a meet-the-press press programme here.
Pointing that the alliance would not be on the lines of OPEC, the minister said the aim was to form a loose confederation of three major cashew producers of the world to take decisions in a manner so that interests of the three countries do not get hurt.
India, which produces and imports half a million tonnes of cashew annually, is the world's largest cashew producer, importer, processor and consumer.
The alliance will ensure that high productivity in a country will not have destabilising effect in the other two countries, he said.
The concept was ready and the three countries have agreed for such an alliance. In the next six months. a decision in this regard is likely to be taken, he said.
On the proposal for setting up a Cashew Board, Jairam Ramesh said Indian Institute of Foreign Trade had been asked to carry out a study on the best way to organise cashew industry in India.
It has given its report last week and the government was examining the report, he said.
The minister said he was personally sympathetic to the idea of a board for cashew as there was need to have a promotion body for cashew.
Agri. & Commodities
