CHENNAI: Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare MRK Panneerselvam announced on Friday that the state government has issued an order to establish the Tamil Nadu Cashew Board, headquartered in Cuddalore.
In the 2025-26 Agriculture Budget, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced that a separate board to promote cashew cultivation and production, support cashew-based industries, and safeguard the welfare of workers engaged in the sector will be established with an allocation of Rs 10 crore.
The Board will be chaired by the Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, with a government-nominated representative as Vice-Chairperson. The Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary will function as Member-Secretary. Other members include the Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Managing Director and CEO of the Tamil Nadu Food Processing and Agricultural Export Promotion Corporation (TNAPEx), Dean (Horticulture) of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, and two cashew farmers nominated from growing districts, making a total of 12 members.
An Executive Committee has also been formed to coordinate the Board's functions, headed by the Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary. It will include representatives from the departments of Horticulture, Finance, Agricultural Marketing, Labour, and Agriculture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, two progressive farmers, and two industry representatives. The committee will meet every three months, or as required.
The Board will work towards achieving self-sufficiency in cashew production, reducing reliance on imports from African countries. It will provide farmers with high-yielding varieties, training on pest management, post-harvest technologies, processing support, export facilitation, and welfare schemes for workers.
According to the Minister, these initiatives are expected to create new employment opportunities in cultivation, harvesting, and value addition while strengthening the cashew sector in Tamil Nadu.