Cashew industrialists call for urgent revival package

Kerala small and medium cashew industrialists on Sunday requested the Centre and the state government to come out with a package to save the sector, which is facing a severe financial crisis.

The leaders of the joint protest council of cashew industrialists said they approached both the Centre and the state government seeking help to revive the sector, but in vain.

"It is high time that the Union and state governments stop the negative attitude towards the crisis in the cashew industry and sufferings of the entrepreneurs, as well as lakhs of workers in the sector," council convenor K Rajesh told PTI.

As part of agitation to highlight their demands, the council would organise a protest rally to the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuran on September 10, he said.

Their demands include steps to provide fresh soft loans to reopen factories, financial aid for semi-mechanisation of units and waiver of interest on loans for three years.