Srikakulam Cashew Turmeric Fishing Uddanam Andhra Pradesh

Srikakulam district in northern coastal Andhra Pradesh is the "cashew capital" of India, with the Uddanam belt — a 60km-long cashew orchard zone — producing over 100,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts annually from red laterite sandy coastal soils. Srikakulam also grows turmeric on river plain soils and the coastal belt supports Kapu and Jalari fishing communities who operate catamaran and mechanised boats from beaches like Narasannapeta, Srikakulam, and Baruva for marine fishing. The district's Boguda and Jagannathapur cashew processing units employ thousands of women who shell, peel, and grade cashew by hand in cottage units, producing export-grade W180, W210, and W320 cashew grades for European and American markets.