Where Cashew Is Grown
Cashew grows on the laterite slopes of the west and east coasts. Maharashtra (Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri), Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, East and West Godavari), Odisha (Ganjam, Gajapati), Kerala (Kannur, Kasaragod), Karnataka (Dakshina and Uttara Kannada, Udupi), Goa, Tamil Nadu (Cuddalore, Ariyalur) and West Bengal are the producers.
How Cashew Is Processed
The raw cashew nut (RCN) has a hard, caustic shell. Processors steam or roast the nuts, cut the shells by hand or machine, dry and peel the kernels, and grade them into more than two dozen grades by size and wholeness (W180, W240, W320 and so on). Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is an industrial by-product. Kollam is the traditional capital of the industry; Mangaluru, Panruti and Palasa have grown into big centres, and Vietnam is India's main competitor.
- Olam Agri India Pvt LtdCashew sourcing and processingAboutExplore
- Vijayalaxmi Cashew CompanyKollam · long-established cashew exporterAboutExplore
- Kalbavi CashewsMangaluru · cashew processor and brandAboutExplore
- Achal CashewsMangaluru · cashew processor and brandAboutExplore
- Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation LtdKollam · state cashew processorAboutExplore
- Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI)Kollam · export bodyAboutExplore
- ICAR – Directorate of Cashew ResearchPuttur, KarnatakaAboutExplore
See also Dry Fruits.
Grades and Quality
Whole white kernels are graded by the number of kernels per pound: W180 (the largest, "king of cashews"), W210, W240, W320 (the most traded) and W450. Splits (S), butts (B), pieces (LWP, SWP) and scorched grades (SW) follow. Buyers check moisture, colour, broken percentage and freedom from insects.
Raw Nut Imports and Price Drivers
Indian farms do not grow enough raw nuts for the processing industry, so processors import RCN from Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Benin, Tanzania and other countries. RCN prices, the "outturn" (kernel yield per 80 kg bag), the dollar exchange rate and competition from Vietnamese processors decide profits. Domestic demand for kernels has grown so much that India now consumes most of what it processes.
Indian harvest
February to May.West African imports
April to August.Festive demand
Diwali and the wedding season.Cashew by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
Processed Products
GI-Tagged Products
Related: Cotton · Cashew · Coconut · Arecanut · Rubber · Tobacco · Dry Fruits · All crops · Soils.in for farmer help
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