The Cashew Export Promotion Council (CEPC) of India has informed the State Government that it has decided to open its Regional Office in Odisha. This would be the CEPC’s first Regional Office after its 60 years of existence, said sources. The CEPC promoted by the Union Ministry of Commerce was established in the year 1955 with the object of promoting export of cashew kernels and cashew nut shell liquid from the country.
Odisha is the third largest cashew producing and exporting State. CEPC Executive Director K Sasi Varma, who informed the State’s Agriculture Principal Secretary Rajesh Verma on Tuesday about establishment of a Regional Office, has requested the latter to provide adequate facility to open the office in Bhubaneswar. Varma informed the State Government that CEPC would provide the necessary institutional framework for performing different functions that serve to promote exports of cashew kernels and cashew nut shell liquid.
The CEPC would also provide the necessary liaison for bringing together foreign importers with member exporters of cashew kernels, Varma said, adding that the inquiries received from the foreign importers would be circulated among council members. The CEPC also extends its good offices in settling disputes amicably in the matter of exports/imports either on account of quality and /or variation in fulfilment of contractual obligations, Varma said.
Necessary publicity would be made abroad by the CEPC with a view to projecting the product image which serves to focus attention on the high quality and superiority of Indian cashews. The CEPC participates in specialised international food fairs/ exhibitions and general fairs abroad. As the council represents the whole industry, it arranges display of products received from members free of cost.
The inquiries received are circulated among the members to contact the traders abroad for business negotiations. This would help cashew producers and exporters in a big way. While the Union Government has agreed to open a CEPC Regional Office, it has in the mean time sent a Central team to look into the facilities and infrastructure available to scale up cashew plantation in the State, said a senior State Government official. He said the State Government has urged the Centre to provide financial assistance from its Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development (DCCD) to enhance coverage of cashew plantation from 2,500 hectares of land to 7,000 hectares.