Vietnam: 120,000 tonnes of cashew nuts to be exported this year

Over 200 cashew processing plants have planned to process 550,000 tonnes of cashews, export 120,000 tonnes of cashew nuts to earn US$500 million. The total area under cashew nationwide is now 420,000 hectares with the estimated output of 400,000 tonnes.

Based on the current price of cashew nuts for export being put at around US$4 per tonne and price of offering material cashew on the international market, the buying price determined by the cashew nut processing businesses is around US$600 a tonne of material cashew (equal to VND 10,000 a kilogram) on average.


Source: nhandan.com.vn
Publication date: 2/23/2009

India: ‘NE has great scope for cashew plantation’

The two-day training of trainers on Cashew cultivation and processing, organised by the Central Institute of (Sitting, centre) Rongsentemjen, Director of Horticulture, along with officials of the state horticulture department, officials of CIH, resource persons and farmers at the NRC (Mithun) complex in Jharnapani, Dimapur, on Thursday, February 19. (Morung Photo)

Horticulture (CIH), Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI, Medziphema, got underway today here at the conference hall of the NRC (Mithun), Jharnapani.

Speaking as the chief guest, Director of horticulture, Rongsentemjen said there was great scope to expand areas under cashew in northeastern hilly region, and continued that cashew can organically be grown in this region which can fetch a higher price in the international market. “Since cashew harvesting period overlaps with the onset of rainy season in NEH region, development of suitable nut driers has to be found out to solve the problem of drying of the raw nuts,” he maintained.
Stating that Nagaland and the northeast as a whole has been gifted with unique topography and varied agro-climatic conditions that offer vast resources and scope for the development of horticultural crops, the Director pointed out that the potentialities of these features in the region were yet to be tapped fully.
Referring to the contribution of the northeastern region that was only 10,000 tons in production and that productivity was 640kg per hectare, Rongsentemjen said that the present area under cashew plantation crops in Nagaland was around 1200 hectares, mostly confined to the Chümukedima area of Dimapur, Jalukie area of Peren, Naganimora and Tizit areas of Mon, and Tsürangkong and Yajang areas of Mokokchung.

He also asserted that the region lacked infrastructure facilities, communications and marketing networks and lack of awareness of technical know-how about the importance of horticultural crops. He added that the people of the region had yearned for long for the required support, to enable them to exploit the natural potentials of the region for extensive horticulture and allied activities. However, he continued, physical and financial resources and politico-demographic constraints had handicapped their efforts to exploit the natural potentials of the region.
Subsequently, the Director said the need of the hour for all was to sensitise production patterns to changing conditions of demands. Talking about the training, he said such training of trainers should be a regular feature to enhance production and to encourage the efforts of the growers of the region.

Earlier, the programme was chaired by Professor V B Singh, head of department, Horticulture SASRD, NU, while the welcome address was proposed by Tiakum, technical consultant, CIH, and vote of thanks was tendered by Ethel Ngullie, technical consultant, CIH. The resource persons for the two days’ training were Dr. PC Lenka, Associate Director of Research, and Dr. RN Mohapatra, Associate Professor of Horticulture from the Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar. The training was attended by officials of the state horticulture department and farmers.


Source: morungexpress.com

Publication date: 2/20/2009

India: Cashew, pistachio prices down on subdued demand

Cashew and pistachio prices fell by up to Rs 15 per kg in the national capital on Thursday on subdued demand from retailers and stockists amidst increased arrivals from producing belts.

Cashew kernel broken (2, 4 and 8 pieces) declined by Rs 5 each to Rs 230-270, Rs 220-265 and Rs 200-250 per kg respectively, due to lack of buying support. Pistachio hairati and peshawari traded lower at Rs 620-660 and Rs 725-760 against yesterday's close of Rs 630-675 and Rs 730-765 per kg, respectively.

Marketmen said subdued demand from retailers and stockists against increased arrivals from producing belts mainly attributed fall in cashew and pistachio prices in the wholesale dry fruit market.

Meanwhile, prices of other dry fruits ruled steady on scattered deals.

Following were today's quotations Rs per 40 kg:

Almond (California) new Rs 8,800, Almond (gurbandi) Rs 5,000 almond (girdhi) Rs 3,000-3,100 and Abjosh Afghani Rs 6,000-14,000.

Almond kernel in per kg (California) Rs 305-310, almond kernel (gurbandi) (kg) Rs 340-385.


Source: hindu.com

Publication date: 2/20/2009

India: Cashew nut exports likely to fall by 20%

The current global meltdown has hit the country’s cashew farmers, already reeling under heavy competition with cashew producing countries like Brazil and Vietnam. According to market estimates there are nearly three lakh cashew farmers in India. As India continues to be the largest exporter of cashew kernels, slackening demand is making producers cut profit margins, which has made importing of low-cost raw cashew nuts a lucrative option.

Official reports with the Cashew Export Promotional Council of India (CPECI) show that cashew kernel exports have dropped marginally from 11.5 lakh tonnes in 2006-07 to only 11 lakh tonnes in 2007-08. But, the year ahead is likely to see a further 20% fall. “Cashews are considered to be a luxury item, so it is one of the first commodities to take a hit in a situation like this,” said Suresh Zantye managing partner of one of the big cashew exporting firms.

India exports cashew mainly to the US and Europe, which are facing a severe economic turbulence. Cashew traders are now looking to develop Asian markets like Japan, Israel and Saudi Arabia. India earns a good amount of foreign exchange by exporting cashew kernels and it ranks second among the cash crops exported. In addition to exports, India is also one of the leading raw cashew consumer, which traders hope will keep their business moving. Although cashew production in the country increased by 6% in 2007-08 to 6.6 lakh tonnes as against 6.2 lakh tonnes in 2006-07; traders point to a significant rise in imports from 5.9 lakh tonnes in 2006-07 to 6.5 lakh tonnes in 2007-08. “The import cost is much lower than buying raw nuts in India,” a leading cashew trader told ET.

Imported raw cashew nuts costs Rs 45 to Rs 48 per kg. As against this the Indian variety commands a higher price ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 55 per kg. “When it comes to cashews most people do not know the quality, it is the price that determines sales,” adds Mr Zantye. According to A S Kamath, president, Goa cashew traders association, lack of availability of high-quality Indian cashew is responsible for such rising prices.

“We have developed technology to increase productivity to meet the rising demand. Unfortunately this is used abroad rather than in India,” he said. With nearly three lakh cashew farmers, Indian productivity has only doubled from three lakh tonne in 1990 to a little over six lakh tonnes in 2008 while global cashew nut production rose from 19.04 lakh tonnes in 2001 to 31.03 lakh tonnes in 2006. The cashew nut production in Vietnam in 2001 was 2.93 lakh tonnes which went up to 9.42 lakh tonnes in 2006. For the corresponding year Indian production went up from 4.50 lakh tonnes to 5.73 lakh tonnes.

In addition to farmers, there are nearly a thousand registered and over 1,200 unregistered SSIs processing raw cashews in the country, all of which face threat of closure with the declining demand. Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra and Orissa are major producers.


Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Publication date: 2/3/2009

Tanzania: Kisarawe embarks on programme to take Coast Region back to `white gold` period

Kisarawe District in Coast Region has embarked on re-introducing cotton growing for cash in ten villages in an effort to eradicate poverty among the crop growers in the area. The District Commissioner, Khanifa Karamagi, said this on Friday here that the villagers would voluntarily start farming the cash crop in pilot projects in ten villages.

They include Kidugalo, Kurui, Gwata, Zegero, Vilabwa, Mitengwe, Mtakayo, Chakenge,Vihingo and Chamalale whereby they would be required to prepare their farms before the beginning of March and start planting at mid of the month.

``We have been assured by the agricultural officers that the climate prevailing in the villages can support the growing of the crop. We, leaders have gone through the area to mobilise the villagers. Those who wish to plant the crop will be supplied with seeds they had been paid 250/- for every kg of cotton they sell. We have given one tonne cotton seeds by the cash crop body to sell to the growers of the crop in the villages,`` she said.

She said that the villagers had been mobilised to grow the crop following President`s Jakaya Kikwete visit to the district in 2007 who advised that the crop should be re-introduced in the region.

She said that her district would join other districts in the region, including Bagamoyo and Rufiji, in the project and also would join others in other regions, including Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Morogoro and Iringa in the Eastern zone in expanding cotton production.

Karamagi said the board had promised to supply farm inputs by credit including chemicals and blowers to the growers, adding that it had further assured that the farmers would get reliable buyers of their crop harvests.

The Coast Region used to produce the best cotton in the world--then known as the white gold.

Cashew nuts is the leading cash crop in the district, however, the growers face financial difficulties from time to time after because they have no reliable market for their produce.


Source: ippmedia.com

Publication date: 2/4/2009