Puttur: Machines developed to extract cashew seeds from fruit

Puttur: For the first time in the country, three different types of machines have been developed to separate seeds from cashew apples. The innovation was led by the Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR) in Puttur. The machines were recently launched and will soon be made available to farmers.

These seed-extracting machines come in three models: fully automatic, semi-automatic, and pedal-operated.

Manually extracting seeds from cashew apples is laborious, time-consuming, and requires considerable human effort. To address this issue, the Puttur-based DCR, in collaboration with the Regional Research Centre of the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Coimbatore, has developed these machines.

Dr. Manjunath from the Puttur centre and Dr. Ravindra Nayak from Coimbatore played key roles in this project. Dr. Balasubramanian and Director Dr. Dinakar Adiga also served as co-researchers.

“These machines will help reduce labour and operational costs. There is also demand for compact models to benefit small-scale farmers. Plans are underway to develop such versions,” said Dr. Manjunath.

“There is significant scope for cashew cultivation in India. With improvements in plant varieties and support from mechanisation, this innovation aims to bring a modern touch to cashew farming,” added Dr. Dinakar Adiga.

Key features of the machines:

1. Fully automatic machine:

Made entirely of stainless steel, this machine separates seeds, pulp, and juice at the same time. It can process up to 300 kg of cashew fruit per hour. It requires around 0.75 litres of petrol per hour but can also run on electricity. The machine is priced at Rs 1.95 lakh. The Cashew Research Directorate has commercialised it, and Fission Agritech Pvt. Ltd., Ramanagara, has acquired the production rights to distribute it.

2. Semi-automatic machine:

This version has four rotating chambers on the top and operates on electricity or battery. When cashew fruits are fed into the machine, the rotation separates the seeds, which drop into a separate compartment without damage. Two persons can work on it simultaneously. It can process about 35 kg of cashew fruit per hour and is priced at Rs 35,000.

3. Pedal-operated machine:

This model uses a blade-like structure. The operator places the seed-attached portion of the fruit on the blade and presses a pedal to cut and separate the seed. The fruit remains in hand. One person can work using both hands. It can process up to 15 kg of fruit per hour and is priced at Rs 15,000.