Production of raw cashewnuts in ’17-18 increases by 4% to 8.17 lakh MT

 The production of raw cashew nuts in India during 2017-18 has increased to an all-time high of 8.17 lakh metric tonne (MT), and registered growth of four percent compared to the previous production of 7.79 lakh MT and a 21 percent increase compared to the 2015-16 production of 6.70 lakh metric tonne.

However, due to the shortage of a sufficient quantity of raw cashew nuts and the higher price for raw cashew nuts in the international market, it is reported that the cashew industry is facing the prospect of a demand-supply gap, as the total requirement of raw cashewnuts is estimated at 17 lakh MT.

With regard to the steps for the increasing production of raw cashew nuts, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India, under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana has drawn up strategies to increase the domestic production by massive area expansion of cashew and replacing of senile cashew plantations with high-yielding varieties in traditional and non-traditional states.

The details of the quantum of cashew production, export and import of raw cashew in the country during the last five years is as follows: