Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.), the wonder nut of world, found its new home in the coastal regions of India nearly 4 centuries ago, through the adventurous Portuguese. A native of Eastern Brazil, this tropical crop was first introduced in Goa and subsequently spread to different parts of the country due to its ability to grow in wide climatic conditions.

Demand for Indian cashew-nut increased as both Brazil and Vietnam, main competitors of India in the cashew nut market, failed to meet orders from other countries. Some of the other factors including increase in the domestic consumption and global consumption of cashew are likely to contribute to the firm price trends. FOB prices of cashew grade W-320 have risen to $3.04 a pound in April 2008, closing in on the record price of $3.16 a pound attained in August 1999.

Over the years, cashew has become one of the leading exports of India and has been instrumental in bringing increased foreign exchange to India. India exports cashew-nut primarily to USA, Europe, Japan and Australia. Indian export earnings from cashew nut was US$508,444,000, in 2007-08 (April-March), as compared with US$554,444,000 in 2006-07.

India ranks first in area utilized for cashew production. There has been a significant growth in area and production of cashew in the recent years with the area under cashew registering a growth of 4.2% to 850,000 hectares and production going up by 8% to 620,000 MT in 2007-08, as compared to 2006-07.

The tropical climate of India is considered a boon for the cashew nut production. Some of the major cashew producing regions include Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerela (Kollam). South India is a major contributor in the total cashew production in India. The chief trading centers of cashew are Palasa, Kochi and Kollam. The average cashew production in India is 0.65 ton per hectare out of which West Bengal alone contributes one ton cashew per hectare.

The import of cashew nut in 2007-08 was reported to be 605,000 MT and the kernel exports stood at 114,000MT

To achieve self sufficiency in production of raw cashews, the government has come up with a Mega mission 2015 for cashew aimed at 1 million ton of raw nuts in 5 years time by encouraging large scale commercial plantations under public and private sector. Cashew production is likely to get a boost with the Directorate of Cashew and Cocoa Development taking steps to increase the area under farming from 874,000 hectare in 2008 to one million hectare (ha) by 2012. The government body has decided to take up cultivation in a big way in states like Chattisgarh which will have three cashew nut processing units at Kumharvand, Karmari and Turenaar, fully equipped for processing nuts including shelling, peeling, grading into different sizes and colors in accordance with standard grading, drying or humidifying and packing. With the increasing demand in the global market over the recent years and the present crisis engulfing the industrial sector of India’s major competitors namely Vietnam and Brazil, the government has introduced various financial schemes to execute ‘Front Line Technology Demonstration in Cashew’ at the earliest. These include providing financial assistance of US$670 per hectare for 3 years for conventional method of cultivation, US$890 per hectare for organic farming, and US$670 per hectare for inter-cropping. Indian researchers have come up with more than 40 high yielding varieties of cashew capable of yielding 2-3 MT of raw nuts per hectare, thus re-affirming its status of being a technology giant.

India, blessed with all the necessary ingredients for cashew production including tropical humid climate, adequate manpower and latest technical know-how, has all the makings of becoming a leading nation in cashew nut production in the years to come. African governments should learn from a well established cashew industry in India and provide incentives to Indian investors transferring cashew technology to Africa.

Filed under: Agriculture, Food Processing, India, Relationship