MARGAO: Chairman of Goa State Agriculture Marketing Board (GSAMB) Prakash Velip on Saturday said that there is an urgent need to control the import of cashew brought from outside to Goa. Besides, there is a need to have government policy with regard to fixing the rate of cashew. On the other hand, Adarsh Krishi Society has warned to take morcha against the former minister Ramesh Tawadkar with regard to the allegation made by him on the society. Reacting to the fiasco of fixing of cashew rate in Goa he further said that the duty to fix the rate is not with the GSAMB. He also hinted at the former agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar saying, "He was a minister for agriculture and at that time he would have formulated the policy with regard to controlling of cashew rate in Goa and today this problem could have not taken place.” Prakash further said that the cashew market is a free market and hence lot of other countries are also engaged in this business in India. "Countries like Brazil and South Africa are fully in cashew business and there is a lot of cashew coming to Goa also. To our bad luck, there is no control over the outside cashew coming to Goa. Neither we nor the government has any control of data about the same,” he stated. According to his opinion, there is an urgent need to have a policy in this regard."Marketing board is in the process to streamline the business and especially to collect the data pertaining to the cashew market in Goa,” he further added.
Prakash also said that the rate of cashew is fluctuating because cashew production is expended. Besides Goa, other states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh are also in cashew business. Meanwhile, members of Adarsh Krishi Society, Balli has refuted the charges made by ex-minister Ramesh Tawadar with regard to cashew rate. One of the members of the Society Govind Velip claimed that Ramesh Tawadkar has made allegations against his society pertaining to the cashew rate. "Adarsh Krishi Society is not responsible in any way regarding the fluctuating rate of cashew and society has nothing to do with the rate. In case there are mafias, then government should carry out inquiry about the same,” he demanded. He also said that Ramesh had defamed their society.