Shortage of raws keeps India’s share in cashew export market at 30%

KOCHI, APRIL 14: 

Indian cashew exports to the world market continue to hover at around 30 per cent of the total global exports for the past few years, while its main competitor Vietnam consistently maintains a share of 39 per cent, according to International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC).

Speaking to Business Line, Pratap Nair, Ambassador of the INC in India and member of the Board of Directors of the INC, Spain, said that India was enjoying the top slot until few years ago and later, Vietnam took over that position.

He attributed the slip to non-availability of sufficient quantity of raw nuts indigenously. Raw nut production in the country is below 50 per cent of the industry’s processing capacity of about 20 lakh tonnes, he said.

He said that the total global production for tree nuts in 2012 totalled 3.5 million tonnes (mt), which represents a 5.5 per cent increase from the previous year.

Dried fruit global production totalled 9.5 mt, registering a 13 per cent increase from 2011.

World production of peanuts was at 36.5 mt last year recording a 2 per cent up from the previous year. However, quoting INC statistics, Nair, who is also Managing Partner of Vijalaxmi Cashew Company, Kollam, said that global trade of tree nuts in 2011 decreased by 4 per cent, which is attributed to an increase in local consumption.

World consumption of tree nuts in 2011 exceeded for the first time the barrier of 3 mt, with a total absorption of 30,20,492 tonnes, he said.

The INC, he said, represents and endorses activities that provide its membership with new opportunities for increasing global consumption of almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, dates, dried apricots, dried figs, prunes and raisins.

Source: Business Line