Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (MB)

Mangalore, Sep 11: The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) will hold its golden jubilee celebrations at Kovalam, Thiruvanthapuram in Kerala between September 15 and 17.

This was announced by CEPCI chairman Walter D'Souza at a press meet held in the premises of the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association here on Monday. CEPCI past vice president G Giridhar Prabhu, Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association president Prakash Rao Kalbavi and CEPCI member K P Mallar were present on the occasion.

A golden jubilee celebrations committee headed by R Pratap Nair has been making hectic preparations for the jubilee event. It will be inaugurated by union minister of state for commerce and industry Jairam Ramesh, in the presence of minister of labour, excise and cashew and Lok Sabha member from Kollam P Rajendran, said D'Souza.

The highlight of the inaugural session will be the presentation of "Global Buyers' perspective on Indian cashews: Vision 2020" by John Petersen, the single largest importer of cashews in the world from the house of Planters from the United States of America.

Initially it was thought that about 120 Indian and about 30 overseas participants would take part. The number of registered delegates has already crossed 200 and is expected to be in the region of about 250. As of now, 40 foreign delegates from 16 countries representing over 80% of the global cashew trade have already registered and another 6 buyers from 4 countries are expected to confirm their participation in a day or two, D'Souza further said. 

As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, CEPCI has initiated the most important Global marketing initiative: First-ever global buyer-seller meet (BSM) exclusively for cashews. Cashew importers from different parts of the world will deliberate on the promotional and marketing strategies for cashews in a bid to give the system a paradigm shift. There is active and overwhelming interest among the Indian exporters/overseas buyers/International brokers/service-providers about the event which has been viewed as a unique initiative to bring all stakeholders together for the first time in the history of the industry.

The two day BSM after the inaugural will see presentations on all aspects of Cashew Trade and Industry like: Indian cashew production scenario; cashew markets; Buyers Expectations – A wish list, Quality, Packaging & Food safety; CNSL : Prospects and problems; Trade Facilitation and Communication; Technological upgradation; Speciality markets and value addition and Promising markets. The presentations will be made by resource persons drawn from 10 countries. The BSM is expected to generate additional exports of about US$100 million (Rs.460 crores).

The industry in India mainly spread over the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnad, Orissa and West Bengal provides gainful employment to more than 5,50,000 workers, 95% of whom are women from weaker sections of the society.

The Indian cashews are exported to over 65 countries through the length and breadth of the world

1. Cashew Bhavan: To commemorate the Golden Jubilee celebrations, CEPCI has already launched the construction of a new R&D centre at a cost of Rs.6.25 Crore (US$1.4 Mln) at Kollam. The new building will house the CEPCI administrative offices, Laboratory, lecture halls, library, conference hall, board-room and guest house. The research work will be carried out for technological upgradation of cashew processing and all analytical services. It will also have training facilities for lab technicians, scientists and cashew factory supervisors. The building will be ready by about June, 2007.

2. Cashew Festivals: With a view to strengthening the generic promotion, CEPCI had supported two major cashew festivals which were conducted by the Karnataka Cashew Manufacturers' Association, Mangalore at Bangalore in April,2006 and the Goa Cashew Manufacturers' Association at Panaji during March, 2006.

3. Study on the nutritional values

4. Empowerment of the cashew growers:

5. Made-in-India branded cashews in the International markets

6. Vision 2020: In the post post golden jubilee era the CEPCI will set before itself an export target of Rs.5,000 crores coupled with employment generation of 10 lakhs to be achieved before it celebrates the Diamond Jubilee in the year 2015.

The deliberations at the International Buyer-Seller Meet will come out with the Vision document for 2020, which will be the climax of the meet to be released at the valedictory on 17th Sept. 2006.

7. The CEPCI will interact with all stake-holders and promotional agencies involved in the production of raw cashewnuts for adoption of time-tested post harvest handling of the crop and will evolve a mechanism to remunerate quality raw cashewnuts.

8. Snack-nut to dietary food

9. Increasing per-capita consumption

At the finale on September 17, valedictory address will be delivered by union minister Oscar Fernandesin the presence of director general of foreign trade K T Chacko, government of Kerala's principal secretary of commerce and industry T Balakrishnan.

CEPSCI's past vice chairman G Giridhar Prabhu will sum up the deliberations. The Vision 2020 Document with a definite blue-print of the road-map for the Global Cashew exports will be released by the chairman of CEPCI.