Cashew production likely to hit this year

Cashew production likely to hit this year
Guinea Bissau: HGuinea Bissau: High temperatures


recorded in the country and military intervention in

April affect cashew season in Guinea Bissau. High

temperatures in April and May dried out the fl owers at

the peak of the season, will affect the yield of the crop.

Currently the industry is hoping to harvest at least the

last year’s fi gure of 136,000 tons, as compared to a

previous target of 150,000 tons. Cashews are Guinea

Bissau’s main export products and India is the main

market to buy the product. Guinea Bissau supplies

cashew nuts to the World during May – June – July.

Cambodia: Cashew harvest season ended in May in

Cambodia. In the current year, the Kompong Cham

province’s cashew yield had dropped by roughly a

quarter over the past year, from 40,000 tons to 30,000

tons. This decrease is due to replantation of a new

variety of cashew tree that is supposed to yield more

cashews, but it is still not ready to be harvested.

Hence the lack of cashew supply coupled with good

demand from Vietnam has brought the price of

cashew nuts to a new high. The price of cashews

increased from 3,500 riel (about 0.8 U.S. dollar) per

kg in February to 4,300 riel (1 U.S. dollar) per kg in

May. Last year cashew prices were at 2,800 riel per kg.

Vietnam: Vietnam cashew sector is facing a shortage

of nuts to process as the 2010 crop output has fallen by

15 percent, or 50,000 tons less than last year’s crop.

This was mainly due to the prolonged hot and sunny

Cashew production likely to hit this year

weather, which stunts the plant growth, especially

when it fl owers, which subsequently results in fewer

tons per acre. With a 15-percent decrease in the

cashew output, Vinacas forecasts that this year the

country will have to import 300,000 tons of raw

cashew nuts, 50,000 tons more than 2009. The price

for cashew nuts also increases as demand for cashew

products is rising sharply in the US and Europe.

India: Unfavourable weather this year has reduced

cashew nut production by at least 35 per cent in Goa.

The winter was warm during fl owering stage and

cloudy skies persisted later during fruit formation.

Hence the rains in December and a short winter

brought down this season’s production by around 26

per cent to 17,000 tons from around 23,000 tons.

Things are not very different other states too.

Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also reported

a shortage in excess of 35 per cent over last year.

Orissa also suffered a burning heat wave (more

than 40 degree Celsius) in the entire region during

the harvesting stage because of “para”. Hence the

production level has gone down. Harvesting has

got over almost in entire cashew growing areas

and the fi nal production fi gures are yet to come.

Other centres in Goa, Maharashtra and Orissa

report 75 to 85 pc crops. Therefore overall

availability in the global scenario could mean

at least 200000 metric tons less available.