Why cashew matters to Goa
Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is Goa's largest horticulture crop, with roughly 58,000 hectares under it as per Goa Directorate of Agriculture data. Goa cashew, particularly the cashew apple (used to make feni — a state-GI spirit), is integral to the rural economy across both districts (North Goa and South Goa). A significant share of Goa's cashew orchards are over 30-40 years old, with declining productivity due to age, pest attack (tea mosquito bug, stem and root borer) and inferior planting material relative to modern grafts.
Subsidy structure
- Quantum: up to ₹50,000 per hectare covering replanting, gestation-period maintenance and orchard inputs.
- Planting material: Vengurla-4, Vengurla-7 and Goa-1 grafts from the ICAR-CCARI (Old Goa) nursery and certified state nurseries.
- Gestation support: subsidy on fertiliser, pesticide, weeding labour, and irrigation during the 3-4 year gestation period before commercial yield begins.
- Bundled subsidy: layered with central MIDH horticulture mission funds and state plan funds.
Eligibility
- Goa resident cashew grower with Form I & XIV land record showing existing cashew orchard, or Mundkar (tenant) certificate under the Mundkar Act.
- Minimum 0.10 ha (one tato / khazan plot) under cashew.
- Existing orchard demonstrably aged and low-yielding (assessed by Block Agriculture Officer).
How to apply — step by step
- Apply at the Zonal Agriculture Office (ZAO) or online at agri.goa.gov.in. Bring Aadhaar, land record / Mundkar certificate and bank account.
- ZAO conducts site inspection: orchard age, tree stand, productivity assessment.
- On approval, planting material (Vengurla / Goa-1 grafts) supplied from CCARI nursery or empanelled nursery; gestation input subsidy released in tranches.
- ZAO monitors plant establishment annually; subsidy release contingent on survival rate (typically ≥80 %).
- On entry into bearing (year 3-4), the orchard is considered commercially established; further support shifts to MIDH area-expansion and rejuvenation modules.
Procurement linkage
Goa Cashew Corporation (GCC) is the state PSU handling cashew procurement; the corporation announces support price for raw cashew nut and provides direct procurement channels. Around the harvest months of March-May, the GCC and registered cashew societies procure raw nut from growers. Replanted orchards under this scheme are automatically linked to the GCC procurement system.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- 2024-25: Goa-1 graft (developed at ICAR-CCARI Old Goa) made the recommended variety for fresh plantings; superior cashew apple yield and disease resistance.
- March 2025: agri.goa.gov.in integrated with the AgriStack Farmer ID via the Goa Krishi Card.
- August 2025: Tea mosquito bug IPM advisory issued; subsidy on bio-control agents added.
- 2025-26: Goa state horticulture plan allocates higher per-ha rate; bundled with farm pond / borewell subsidy for irrigated cashew blocks.
Common rejection reasons
- Form I & XIV mismatch: land record name differs from Aadhaar; remediate at the Mamlatdar.
- Mundkar certificate absent: tenants without the certificate cannot claim; register under the Mundkar Act first.
- Existing orchard not eligible: young orchards or non-cashew plantings do not qualify.
- Survival rate below threshold: second-year subsidy contingent on ≥80 % graft survival.
- Aadhaar — bank seeding failure: DBT credit fails on NPCI side.
Grievance: Zonal Agriculture Office → Director of Agriculture, Goa → Directorate of Horticulture (parastatal coordination via Goa Cashew Corporation).
Coverage statistics
Per Goa Directorate of Agriculture data, a few hundred hectares are taken up for replanting each year; cumulative area replanted under the scheme since 2018 is reported in the state Vidhan Sabha replies. The aim is to roll over a significant share of the ageing 58,000 ha cashew area over 15-20 years.
How GCRS stacks with other schemes
The scheme converges with central MIDH (which provides the area-expansion subsidy backbone), PKVY (for organic cashew clusters), and state schemes like the Goa Krishi Card (single-window verification), and the Tree Friend training (which trains climbers who also work in cashew orchards). PM-KISAN, KCC and PMFBY operate in normal form.
Related
- MIDH (central horticulture mission).
- Goa Krishi Card — ID for all Goa farmer benefits.
- Goa state guide.