Gunjan Jain, President of the Nuts and Dry Fruits Council of India (NDFC-I), emphasized the urgent need for India to boost domestic cashew production. He warned that reliance on African exports—especially from Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, and Tanzania—is risky due to recent protectionist curbs introduced by these countries to promote local processing.
Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s largest raw cashew exporter, has introduced an export tax and extended its no-shipment window post-harvest to 45 days. Benin has implemented a ban, though it’s being bypassed through smuggling. Tanzania has made it mandatory for all agricultural trade to go through its Mercantile Exchange, restricting free movement of raw cashews.
India, once the top exporter, is now the biggest processor and consumer, but its export share has fallen due to high domestic costs. Jain noted that Indian firms with units in Vietnam now enjoy better competitiveness. He urged India to utilize its coastal belt from Bengal to Gujarat for cashew cultivation, predicting that the benefits could be realized over the next 15 years if action begins now.