Directorate of Cashew Research (ICAR-DCR), Puttur, was
conferred with the ‘Innovation and Technology Advancement Award’ by
The Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC). The award was
introduced in the course of the first version of the Agro-Food Processing Awards
2026, held in Bengaluru. Photo: Special Arrangements
Directorate of Cashew Research (ICAR-DCR), Puttur, Dakshina Kannada, has been conferred with the ‘Innovation and Technology Advancement Award’ by the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC).
The award was introduced in the course of the first version of the Agro-Food Processing Awards 2026, held in Bengaluru lately. The award recognises the DCR’s contributions in direction of growing revolutionary applied sciences which have the potential for remodeling India’s cashew sector.
The recognition was bestowed for DCR’s pioneering work in growing high-yielding cashew varieties, mechanisation applied sciences for manufacturing and processing, and revolutionary value-added applied sciences for cashew apple utilisation, that are creating new livelihood alternatives for farmers and entrepreneurs whereas decreasing post-harvest losses, a launch from DCR stated.
Speaking on the event, J. Dinakara Adiga, Director, DCR, acknowledged that the award is a testomony to the devoted efforts of the institute’s scientists and employees, trade companions and stakeholders in strengthening India’s cashew worth chain via science-driven improvements. The BCIC award marks one other vital milestone within the institute’s four-decade journey of scientific excellence and reinforces its dedication to advancing science, empowering farmers and strengthening India’s cashew worth chain.
Over the years, DCR has developed a number of high-yielding and climate-resilient cashew varieties which have considerably enhanced productiveness throughout main cashew-growing states. The Directorate has additionally pioneered applied sciences for high-density planting, built-in nutrient and pest administration, and farmer-friendly mechanisation geared toward decreasing labour prices and bettering manufacturing effectivity, he stated.
In the post-harvest sector, the institute has made exceptional strides by growing applied sciences for cashew apple processing into nutritious merchandise similar to natural tea, cashew apple liquid sweetener, cashlime, cider, cashew nut sprout cookies, and cashew apple pomace powder cookies, thereby changing an underutilised by-product into an income-generating useful resource. Recently, ICAR-DCR additionally launched an revolutionary 3-in-1 cashew apple and nut separation machine, enabling environment friendly separation of nuts, juice and fibre for business processing, the Director stated.
The Directorate has additionally embraced digital agriculture by launching farmer-centric digital platforms, together with the Cashew Connect AI-powered chatbot, Cashew India App, Cashew Protect App, and the Cashew Farmer Tracking System, offering real-time scientific advisories, pest administration suggestions and multilingual extension assist to growers throughout the nation. These digital initiatives are serving to bridge the hole between analysis laboratories and farmers’ fields via accessible, technology-enabled extension providers, the discharge stated.
In addition, DCR has intensified its efforts in expertise commercialisation, entrepreneurship improvement, capability constructing, and trade collaborations, facilitating the switch of analysis improvements to startups, farmer-producer organisations, self-help teams and non-public enterprises. Through common coaching programmes, incubation assist and stakeholder partnerships, the institute continues to advertise sustainable worth addition and strengthen India’s cashew processing ecosystem, it stated.
Published – June 28, 2026 02:15 pm IST