A big produce of moist, harvested cashews was in entrance of Brijith Krishnan. The unseasonal rains in his hometown in Kerala had ruined the crop once more. He knew this crop wouldn’t fetch him any revenue.
Across the identical time in 2020, the mechanical engineering diploma holder additionally confronted one other difficult flip of occasions when he unexpectedly misplaced his job as a supervisor in an IT firm.
Along with this, the cashew farming business – a conventional supply of revenue for his household – was additionally on the decline. This double blow left him with no steady revenue supply. He strived to completely settle in his hometown and discover new avenues.
With a eager eye for innovation and a dedication to make a significant influence, he noticed the rising development in direction of plant-based diets, significantly within the vegan business.
Leveraging his mechanical engineering background and pushed by a want to create worth in cashew farming, he delved into the unchartered territory of sprouting know-how for cashew nuts.
In 2021, he formally launched his enterprise, Eatery Malbarikas, which makes dishes from sprouted cashew nuts and provides to main meals provide corporations and accommodations in Kerala, Bengaluru, Mumbai.
Actuality of the most important cashew producers of Kerala
In keeping with the ‘Standing of Cashew Analysis and Improvement in India: A State Perspective revealed by the ICAR- Directorate of Cashew Analysis, Karnataka’, the coastal state of Kerala accounts for 15 p.c of cashew manufacturing in India. Of this, Kannur district accounts for practically 63 p.c of the full cashew cultivation within the state.
Cashew manufacturing is comparatively excessive in Kannur as a result of the area experiences a chronic dry spell in the course of the reproductive part of the crop.
Brijith, who hails from the identical district and grows cashew on 13 acres of land, shares that cashew productiveness has been affected amid unseasonal rain and excessive climate circumstances in the previous couple of years.
“We expertise unseasonal rains in March-Could. This impacts the pollination course of and the harvesting interval. We’re small farmers, we don’t have good storage amenities. Because of this, we have now to maintain our harvest out within the open. Most of this produce will get moist on this interval then. No cashew manufacturing unit is able to buy this broken product as its high quality turns into poor, color will get light, and in addition has a poor style,” shares the 47-year-old.
As the standard apply in cashew farming entails harvesting the nuts for consumption as dry fruits or in a roasted kind, there was a restricted scope for worth addition. “You may dry and retailer coconut produce and might make mango pulp however there may be hardly any various to utilise cashews in different varieties,” he provides.
Recognising this as a vital hole out there, Brijith launched into a journey of experimentation. He reached out to establishments like Central Meals Technological Analysis Institute (CFTRI) Mysuru, and Kerala Agriculture College to discover the dietary advantages and viability of sprouting cashews.
After receiving an encouraging response from the institutes, his focus shifted in direction of refining the sprouting know-how for cashews. Recognising the perishable nature of cashews and the challenges in sustaining a chilly provide chain, he drew inspiration from Japan’s retorting know-how – which entails heat-treating meals in hermetic containers to increase shelf life.
By adapting this modern strategy, he devised a way to course of and retailer sprouted cashews at room temperature, enhancing their shelf life and market attain.
After a 12 months into analysis and improvement, Brijith began his personal startup in 2021.
From uncooked sprouts, pickles to manchurian, soup premix
One of many preliminary challenges that Brijith tackled was the restricted germination potential of cashews. “On account of their seasonal nature, the germination potential of matured cashews was solely 90 days. Subsequently, 12 months spherical availability was an enormous concern. By means of persistent analysis, trials, and improvement efforts, I efficiently prolonged the germination potential to 180-200 days,” he provides.
After an preliminary funding of Rs 1 lakh, Brijith secured a grant of Rs 25 lakh from the central authorities underneath the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme that goals at selling agri-business entrepreneurship. This helped him kickstart the work.
Right now, he gives a variety of value-added merchandise – cashew sprouts Manchurian, cashew sprouts butter masala, cashew sprouts malai, cashew sprouts schezwan, cashew sprouts Malabar masala, cashew sprouts theyal, cashew sprouts soup premix, cashew sprouts brine, pickles, and contemporary cashew sprouts.
With a meticulous deal with high quality and worth, Brijith priced his sprouted cashews at Rs 1,000 per kg. By means of strategic partnerships with superstar cooks, star accommodations, and catering teams, Brijith positioned his premium cashew sprout merchandise in a distinct segment market section.
Considered one of his common clients Thomas, who works as a company chef at Paragon group of eating places, shares, “We skilled these cashew sprouts might be included in a nutritious diet and many varied dishes might be ready with adaptability. It isn’t simply stocked in shops so individuals have some curiosity about it. These dishes are repeatedly demanded from our completely happy clients on the restaurant.”
The distinctive positioning out there enabled Brijith to safe a gentle clientele and obtain a turnover of Rs 25 lakh in 2023.
Moreover, his endeavours weren’t solely pushed by a ardour for innovation but in addition by a dedication to empower native farmers. By buying moist cashews from a minimum of 11 native farmers, Brijith managed to supply a sustainable answer by remodeling them into high-quality sprouted cashews.
“By reimagining conventional practices and leveraging trendy know-how, I not solely wished to revitalise the cashew farming business but in addition exemplify the potential for agri-business entrepreneurship to drive financial development in rural communities. I’m glad that we don’t have to fret about moist produce anymore,” he smiles.
Edited by Padmashree Pande; All photographs: Brijith Krishnan
