Goa has just got another festival to celebrate every year with chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant making the announcement at the inauguration of the first edition of the ‘Cashew Fest 2023‘ in Panaji on Saturday evening.
“Cashew Fest’ will be organised every year by Goa Forest Development Corporation. It is an innovative concept where cashew and related products, can give rise to startup ideas on one side while on the other hand, the traditional methods can be propagated by training the uninitiated,” said Dr Sawant in his address to a large gathering.
The chief minister hailed the concept of Poriem MLA Dr Deviya Rane, chairperson of Goa Forest Development Corporation, as innovative and also one that brought cashew and tourism, cashew and culture together.
Dr Sawant also boosted the hopes of Goan artisans by emphasising on the government focus on promoting local handicrafts including the handloom, through which ‘kunbi’ fabric is gaining popularity across the world. He also highlighted the efforts of Goa State Biodiversity Board, which is packaging natural food items and juices under the brand ‘Govan’ and also creating jobs in food processing industry in the rural areas.
The ongoing ‘Cashew Fest’ has come across as a showcase for displaying innovative products like non-alcoholic drink made out of ‘niro’, which usually lasts for couple of days under refrigeration, but this product Rosita has a shelf life of a year. Also on display is Cona ‘urrack’ which will be available throughout the year, cashew ‘vodka’, cashew apple powder – rich in calcium and other nutrients – but being sold as additive to various food items for garnishing or as toppings, niro ice-cream, kokum-lime feni and more.
