Cashew processing export units face supply crunch amid low domestic output

African countries from where India imports raw cashew have stared local processing; India's cashew industry may need to increase production to over 2 MT by 2025 to remain afloat

India’s cashew industry might have to increase domestic production to over 2 million tonnes by the year 2025, as the African countries from where India imports raw cashew nuts are aiming at more localised processing.

While India has a capacity to process 2.5 MT raw cashew, at present it produces only a third of that – 700,000-800,000 tonnes – and imports a similar amount from other countries. Now, with imports increasingly coming down, cashew processors are facing a supply shortage.

"Indian processing is heavily dependent on the import of raw cashew nuts from African countries. As African nations now encourage