The Ministry of Science and Technology is preparing to provide research and technological support to strengthen Sri Lanka’s cashew industry and expand cultivation, Science and Technology Minister Krishantha Abeysena said.
A stakeholder meeting was held under the minister’s leadership to identify current and future technological, research and operational challenges facing the cashew sector.
The meeting reviewed the current state of domestic cashew cultivation, including the extent of land under systematic cultivation and the potential to expand production.
Stakeholders noted that a cashew tree in Sri Lanka currently produces an average of about 4-5 kilograms, while modern cultivation methods in other countries have increased yields to around 20 kilograms per tree.
They also pointed out that a developed cashew industry would require about one million plants annually, while current production is limited to around 300,000-400,000 plants. They said scientific methods are needed to produce sufficient grafted plants with a long-term view of the sector’s development.
Minister Abeysena said research institutions under the ministry would support efforts to identify improved cashew varieties, increase yields, produce quality seeds and grafted plants, and develop advanced tissue-culture propagation methods.
He also highlighted the need for strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors and mechanisms to import high-yielding genetic material from other countries through strong memorandums of understanding.
The meeting also discussed developing value-added products from cashew trees, diversifying cultivation and raising public awareness of opportunities in the sector.
Representatives of the Ministry of Science and Technology and its affiliated institutions, the Sri Lanka Cashew Corporation, Wayamba University and private-sector cashew growers and producers attended the meeting. (Newswire)
