Dong Nai: Cashew soaring

Currently dry nuts in Xuan Loc traders are buying ranged from about 55000-60000 / kg, up from 20000-25000 VND / kg over the same period last year and is the highest price in 5 years come here. Cause that higher prices are due to cashew export demand increased while the amount of crude in many people no longer by several months until 2017. The plan for farmers with grain storage conditions are now pushing to sell and huge profits. According to statistics, currently there are over 9,000 hectares in Xuan Loc thing, concentrated in Xuan Truong, Xuan Tam, Xuan Hiep, Xuan Thanh and Suoi Cao Suoi Cat ...

According to the Ministry of Agriculture - Rural Development, cashew export volume May 10, 2016 reached 291 000 tonnes and USD 2.33 billion, up 5.8% in volume and 16.6% in value compared to the same period in 2015. as expected, in 2016, the country exported $ 3 billion and maintains individual exporter is a world leader.

Source: Dong Nai Newspaper

Cashew export forecasts this year set a new record

According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), it is estimated that this year reached 300,000 tons exported grain processing, surpassing the 2015 record level of $ 2.4 billion. Customs' statistics showed that export volume reached 291 000 tonnes which 10 months for a value of $ 2.33 billion, up 5.8% in volume and 16.6% in value compared to the same period in 2015 auth or sell cashew exports increased by 9% on average over the same period last year.

Currently, the United States, the Netherlands and China's three major import markets of Vietnam thing, market share, respectively 33.9%, 13.8% and 13.3% of the total value of exports of cashew nuts Vietnam. 

Source: VNExpress

 

Vietnam cashew exporters to add value with further processing

Vietnam has been the world’s top cashew nut exporter in the last 10 consecutive years with the export volume, accounting for 50 percent of the world’s total output.

In the first 10 months of 2016, it exported 291,000 tons of cashew nuts, reaping $2.33 billion. It is expected that Vietnam’s total processed output in 2016 would reach 1.4 tons, of which 300,000 tons would be exported to earn $3 billion in turnover. If so, the export turnover from cashew nut would be higher than the rice export turnover.

Six cashew growing areas in Vietnam have soil and climate suitable to cashew plants. Around 300,000 households growing cashew on 310,000 hectares consider cashew as a wild plant. They do not use chemical fertilizer and plant protection chemicals, so Vietnam’s cashew nuts are clean and have high quality.

Besides the cashew variety that has existed in Vietnam fir years, three new varieties bring high yield of up to 2,500-4,000 kilos per hectares in good cultivation conditions.

Vietnam can now make nearly all the machines needed to increase the automation level. It only has to import color sorter machines.

The machinery and tools made by Vietnam are used by over 1,000 cashew nut processing factories and workshops in Vietnam, all of which are privately run, and also for export to Africa.

Vietnam’s cashew nut products always have the appearance and quality meeting requirements set by the choosiest markets such as the US, France, Germany and Japan.

About 80 countries now import preliminarily processed cashew nuts from Vietnam. These include the US which consumes 30 percent, Europe 25 percent and China 18 percent.

Considering the output of all cashew exporters and the high demand which exceeds supply, Vinacas believes the cashew nut price will fall to below $10 per kilo.

Therefore, it believes that expanding the growing area, increasing output, and upgrading quality and processing products more deeply are what Vietnam needs to do.

Though cashew is one of the perennial crops that bring high value, Vietnam still doesn’t have cashew farms. Cashew plants are mostly grown by households, with several hectares for every household.

As the cashew nut price fell in previous years, farmers chopped down cashew trees to grow rubber and coffee. As a result, farmers now do not have enough cashew nuts to sell when the prices go up.

Source: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/

Govt. plans to revive cashew sector

Thiruvananthapuram: The government has initiated moves to ensure uninterrupted supply of quality cashew for processing factories in the State, under plans to revive the flagging sector, Minister for Cashew J. Mercikutty Amma has said.An official delegation comprising officials from the department, Capex, and Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation is visiting Tanzania for the purpose, the Minister said in a pressnote issued here on Tuesday on the eve of the National Cashew Day celebrations. She said the effort would focus on providing raw material for the factories at fair price and without middlemen.

The pressnote said the Chief Minister had initiated talks with private factories to reopen the units that had downed shutters due to financial problems. Efforts were on to declare a moratorium on loans and restructure loans or provide fresh credit facilities. An empowered committee comprising bankers and government officials was already on the job.Simultaneously, the government had launched a programme to procure cashew from farms of the departments of Agriculture and Forest as well as domestic farmers.Moves were on to achieve self-sufficiency in cashew production by bringing more land under cultivation and leasing land in neighbouring States.Pointing out that rapacious middlemen and other vested interests had put the very survival of the sector at stake, she called for a coordinated effort to promote cashew cultivation, increase procurement of nuts and encourage value addition.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com

Spain: Castile-La Mancha expects 50% lower almond production

Pistachio production to increase by around 30%

The Nuts department of ASAJA in Castile-La Mancha has estimated that the almond production in the new season will be 50% lower than in the previous campaign, when 7,662 tonnes were obtained from the 60,000 hectares in the region, mainly due to the atypical meteorological conditions during the blooming period.For pistachios, however, with an area of ​​about 10,000 hectares, which accounts for almost 70% of the country's acreage, the production will increase by 30% compared to last year, when about 800 tonnes were obtained.The sector has assessed the quality of the harvest as very good and has praised the Castilian-Manchegan product, appreciated worldwide because of its organoleptic characteristics and for reaching an extra-large size thanks to the region's ideal climatic conditions and the type of land where it is grown, very suitable for the development of the plantations.In fact, Manchegan pistachio is renowned for reaching a calibre of 18-20/ounce, the highest at international level, and for a flavour that truly stands out from that of the imported product, as is the case with almonds and the rest of nuts grown in the region.

Producers have been advised by the agricultural sector to focus on quality, to remove bitter almonds from the marketing channels for direct consumption and to opt for plants that guarantee a good performance in the region's soil, and thus obtain a product with unique characteristics and more appreciated in the markets. ASAJA CLM has in fact found that prices increase with such differentiation, with organic nuts, for example, reaching a market price more than 20% higher than that of conventional ones.The Nuts department of ASAJA has also stated that producers must be prepared to face any challenges posed by the environment or by European regulations, as well as to come together in organisations and thereby improve the traceability of the nuts grown in the region.

Source: http://www.freshplaza.com/

Australian almond market continues to grow

 

Despite ongoing commentary to the contrary, speakers at the Australian Almond Conference recently debunked the idea that Australia almond producers have overestimated local and global demand for their nuts.Leading international US fresh produce analyst, Vernon Crowder, told The Weekly Times that Australia was enjoying stable prices based on record US production as the Californian drought began to break.“I don’t think Australian growers have overestimated the growth of the industry,” Mr Crowder said. “Based upon even my conservative projection of almond growth, and the Almond Board of Australia numbers, by 2020 California will produce about 83 per cent of the world’s almonds (up from 80 per cent) and Australia will produce 8.5 per cent (up from 7 per cent).“I don’t think this growth is going to shake up the market.”

Australian growers received record prices in recent years as the Californian drought cut US production.During this time, Australia overtook Spain as the world’s second biggest almond producer, as new plantings from big Riverina companies, such as Select Harvests and Olam, came into bearing.Mr Crowder said the global industry needed to sustain growth to service the global demand for almonds.“The real growth is coming from growth in ingredients in US and Europe, as well as nuts in shell in India and China.“Culturally, they prefer nuts in the shell, and that’s driving a lot of demand.“The Australian market has grown consistently over the past 10 years, and Australian per capita consumption is one of the highest in the world, surpassing the US.“A lot of that is to do with consumers’ realisation of the health benefits of almonds, as well as the use of almonds in manufactured products.”

Read more at weeklytimesnow.com.au.

Azerbaijan: Support for hazelnut cultivation

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has ordered additional measures aimed at strengthening state support for the cultivation of hazelnuts.Under the order, the Ministry of Agriculture has given AZN 1.46 million. AZN 600,000 of the amount will be used for the purchase of mulberry seedlings, and AZN 700,000 for the purchase of hazelnut seedlings.The Ministry is to transfer, free of charge, the seeds and seedlings to producers, taking into account the needs of cities and regions. The data on producers to receive seeds and saplings must be submitted to the President of Azerbaijan.

(1 AZN=0.57USD)

Source: abc.az

Chile: "We need to continue creating demand for walnuts"

Chile will have 10% more walnuts

The walnut industry is one of the most advanced in the Chilean agricultural sector, and after many years, the product has earned a reputation as a high quality commodity, with noteworthy investments made by exporters in high-tech processing plants.According to official figures for the year 2015, Chile has a total of 28,000 hectares planted with walnuts. For 2016, prospects pointed to a 10% increase in the production volume and a 16% growth of exports compared to the previous year. This increase in volume should remain unchanged, despite the frosts that hit Chile a couple of weeks ago.

La Invernada

During FreshPlaza's trip to Chile, we had the opportunity to pay a visit to the facilities and production fields of La Invernada, one of the main producers and exporters of walnuts in the South American country. "Chile is a privileged area when it comes to the production of walnuts, mostly thanks to its hot and dry summers and cold and humid winters, which are the ideal conditions for the cultivation of walnut trees. Also, the natural isolation provided by the country's geography allows for a minimal use of agrochemicals for crop protection," affirmed Cristóbal Socías, commercial director, as we entered the facilities.From April to December, when demand usually peaks, they have enough fresh walnuts to meet the needs of their customers. During this period, they employ an average of 100 workers, who help guarantee the highest quality and productivity. There is also no lack of high-tech equipment, which allows them to minimise damage to the product and supply walnuts of all grades.

"Nobody buys blindly"

While showing us around the production plant, Cristóbal explained his vision regarding the market. "The most important thing is to maintain the high quality levels that our customers are accustomed to and increase productivity day by day, striving to improve and learn whenever we can. This is absolutely essential if we want to be successful, as is the promotion of Chilean walnuts at the retail level. If I want someone to buy something, I have to show it. Nobody buys blindly and without any knowledge. While the vast majority of our production is sold, we have to create demand," stressed the expert.

Promising future

Flowers were already starting to appear on the trees again, so during our visit to one of the fields we were able to appreciate the great potential that they have as walnut producers. Juan Ignacio Sánchez, an agronomist, highlighted that "every year, we are increasing our production capacity, and the high-end irrigation technologies that we are using make it possible for us to maximise our production. Seeing these first fruits, I can predict that the coming production will be very good, much better than this year's."

With these good prospects, and to tackle the increase in demand, in mid-March, just before the campaign starts, La Invernada will inaugurate its new production plant. At present, they have 900 hectares and the plan is to gradually increase the acreage. Also, in the next campaign they will be exploring the export of almonds as part of the firm's expansion process.

Source:www.lainvernada.com

Tax breaks to spur Ivory Coast exporters to process cashews

Ivory Coast, the world's leading producer of cashew nuts, has added bonus payments to existing tax breaks to drive a rapid expansion in local processing of the crop, company and government officials said on Friday. Already the world's top cocoa grower, Ivory Coast more than doubled its cashew output from 350,000 tonnes in 2009 to over 702,000 tonnes last year when it surpassed India in terms of raw production. Earlier this month President Alassane Ouattara signed a new constitution into law, casting it as the way to a peaceful future after years of violent upheaval and renewing its attraction to foreign investors. Locally processed nuts are already exempt from export tax and tax holidays have been brought in over the past five years for private investors. Until recently, only a fraction of nuts were processed before export. But Ouattara has called for 100 percent of production to be processed domestically by 2020. "The government is working on that, and we are the tool of the government," Adama Coulibaly, the head of the Ivorian cotton and cashew marketing board, the CCA, told Reuters on the sidelines of a trade show in the commercial capital Abidjan.

In 2014, national processing capacity for cashew nuts was around 42,000 tonnes but has already more than doubled to 90,900 tonnes this year. Coulibaly said it is on track for 214,500 tonnes in 2017. From this season, companies will also receive a government bonus payment of 400 CFA francs ($0.65) for every kilogram of processed cashews they export. The measure is due to last five seasons with the possibility of a two-year extension, Coulibaly said. The combination of these incentives now make Ivory Coast competitive with major processing hubs India and Vietnam where costs are lower, said Suraj Rao, vice-president of the Ivorian cashew exporters association. "When there is political will, corporate will follow. If the government is ready to support us, we are ready to invest," said Rao, who is also country director for Export Trading Group (ETG).

ETG plans to open two or three processing plants, each with capacity of around 10,000 tonnes, in different parts of Ivory Coast. The sheer size of its cashew crop, which continues to grow at around 10 percent annually, and its location make Ivory Coast a logical hub for exports to expanding markets in Europe and North America, exporters said. "There is no other place with this abundance of raw material," said Partheeban Theodore, Ivory Coast country manager for Olam International which runs facilities with processing capacity of 40,000 tonnes.

"We definitely find it more attractive to expand our processing, and I am sure it will encourage others."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-ivorycoast-cashew-idUSKBN13D2OM

2nd edition of SIETTA: Ms Touré Massogbè and 7 processors receive subsidies

On November 17, 2016, Premier Daniel Kablan Duncan opened the second edition of the International Exhibition of Equipment and Processing Technologies for Cashew Nuts at the Treichville Cultural Center. This fair is held from 17 to 19 November on the theme: "An industrialization of the cashew nut industry for a new Côte d'Ivoire". Mrs Touré Massogbè, manager of a cashew processing company, received a grant of CFAF 6 million. Seven other processors have also received subsidies for the development of their activities, for a total amount of about 840 million FCFA. In his address, Daniel Kablan Duncan recalled the objective of the Ivorian government for the cashew sector, namely to transform 100% of local production by 2020: "Despite the strong growth observed on the continent, the contribution of production Manufacturing in the creation of wealth and added values ??has unfortunately not evolved, the share of this manufacturing production not exceeding 10%. Faced with this observation, it is imperative for Africa to commit itself resolutely and firmly to the path of its industrialization in order to make better use of its enormous potential ... In this sense, it must work to improve the Productivity of factors of production, the development of human skills and the promotion of a business climate conducive to investment. It must also develop strategies to accelerate its industrialization and the transformation of its raw materials in order to create conditions for strong, sustainable and inclusive growth. In order to accelerate its industrialization, Africa must integrate the promotion of agro-industry in the light of its abundant agricultural resources. As such, cashew is one of the products that we need to develop, given its potential for creating added value, jobs and wealth, and its impact on other industrial sectors, notably packaging , Logistics, and transport ". According to Daniel Kablan Duncan, this exhibition should be an opportunity to take a critical look at the financing of the cashew industry, especially since Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of nuts. Cashew with 702. 510 tons in 2015, or 24, 22% of the world supply.

Establishment of an International Cashew Advisory Council

On the sidelines of the exhibition, the Ivorian Minister of Industry and Mines, Jean-Claude Brou and his counterparts from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea-Conakry, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Of Togo set up a body called the International Cashew Advisory Council, with headquarters in Abidjan and the Executive Secretariat by Côte d'Ivoire. The Director-General of the Cotton and Cashew Nut Council, Dr. Adama Coulibaly, thanked all the OEMs who were present, whose number rose from 10 in 2014 to 29 for this second edition. He urged the actors of the cashew nut to "turn to the future by making the transformation of the cashew nut a priority".

Source:http://news.abidjan.net

The cashew sector: Côte d'Ivoire plans to "transform 100% of its production by 2020" (Duncan)

Ivorian Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan announced on Thursday in Abidjan the transformation of 100% of cashew production, of which Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter, at the opening of the second edition of the International Exhibition of Equipment and Of cashew processing technologies.

"The Ivorian government has adopted a plan for the development and processing of cashew nuts, the aim of which is to significantly increase the processing rate of 100% raw nuts by 2020," Duncan said. The conversion rate in 2015 was estimated at 5.84%. The Prime Minister added that "at the industrial level, Côte d'Ivoire intends to strengthen and revitalize its actions in favor of companies".

The actions and reforms implemented have increased the number of cashew processing enterprises which have increased from 10 in 2012 to 22 in 2016 and the overall installed capacity of 54,000 tons per year in 2012 to 90,000 in 2016, an average increase of 23% per year, the head of the Ivorian government said. With a production of 700,000 tons in 2015, Côte d'Ivoire has become the world's largest producer of cashew with 24.22% of the supply. The fair, which opened on Thursday, is expected to close on Saturday with the theme: "An industrialization of the citizen cashew sector for a new Ivory Coast".

Source:http://news.abidjan.net

Mozambique is expected to produce 120,000 tons of cashew nuts in 2016/2017

The sale of cashew nuts in Mozambique in the 2016/2017 campaign is expected to reach 120,000 tonnes compared to almost 100,000 recorded in the previous year, said the director of the National Cashew Institute (Incaju).Ilídio Bande, who was speaking in the Nampula district at the official launch of the 2016/2017 campaign, said there are good indicators in all provinces producing nuts and the goal is therefore likely to be achieved.

The beginning of the cashew nut marketing year is the culmination of a preparation process involving producers, service providers, government agencies and other stakeholders so that the whole process is conducted smoothly, according to Mozambican daily newspaper Noticias.The governor of Nampula, Victor Borges, recalled the province is the largest cashew producer in Mozambique and called on producers to combat the problems affecting the cashew trees, including pests and wildfires.

Source: www.macauhub.com

Call to hike withdrawal limit of cashew units

Chairman of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) P. Sundaran has written to the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India requesting special permission for cashew factory owners to withdraw Rs.3 lakh per week from their bank accounts for the purpose of paying weekly wages to cashew workers.

In the wake of cash withdrawal restrictions imposed following November 8 demonetisation of higher denomination currency notes, the factory owners could not pay last week’s wages to the cashew workers, the majority of them women. The letter says that the workers are solely dependent on the wages for a living. Non-receipt of wages had badly affected the living condition of workers, which in turn has hit the operation of factories.

Each factory required at least Rs.3 lakh to pay the weekly wages. The request for relaxation on withdrawal limit for cashew factory owners was made on this ground, Mr. Sundaran said in a statement here. CEPCI chairman says cash withdrawal curbs make it difficult for factories to pay wages.

Source: Hindu business line.

 

VN cashew conference cheers booming demand

As global demand increases for cashew, Việt Nam, the world’s largest exporter of the nut, could grab an even bigger market share by improving quality, a conference heard in Đà Nẵng yesterday.

Ranjeet Wallia, president and CEO of Chi Commodities Handlers Inc, said global demand is up 53 per cent since 2010 and cashew is now the second most consumed tree nut.

"The US buys more than 30 per cent of Việt Nam’s exports, mainly for snacking and making cereal, energy bars, milk and healthy foods."

Joseph Lang, managing director of Kenkko House, one of Europe’s largest dealers of nuts and dried fruits, said: “The growth of the cashew market in Europe over the last three years has been tremendous with Europe now representing around 25 per cent of cashew exports from Việt Nam and having growth by well over a third over the period.”

Demand is expected to continue increasing because consumers are more aware of the nut’s nutritional value, according to Lang.

Cashew currently has a tighter supply scenario and has consequently seen price rise.

The recent increase in price is likely to worry buyers, including retailers and food processors.

Lang said: “Of course, a higher price will encourage us to aim to grow and supply more to our markets, but this too represents a threat. If we supply more, we run the risk of over supply, particularly as buyers seek cheaper alternatives and this could impact our profits badly.”

It was about getting the balance right between supply and demand and ensuring the product can command a high price not simply because it is in short supply but because it is of consistent, reliable and high quality, he said.

“Consumers are becoming more and more demanding about transparency. They want to know where their foods come from, what’s in it and how it has been produced.

“That means we need to be more transparent, provide greater information and show evidence that our product is not infested, is of high quality, comes from a reliable and sustainable source of supply and generally satisfies the expectations of today’s well informed customer.”

Doãn Thị Thu Thủy, deputy head of the Việt Nam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade), said while exports of many other agricultural products faced difficulties, it had been smooth sailing for cashew.

Việt Nam currently accounts for half of the world’s cashew exports, and has been the leading exporter for the last 10 years.

Its cashew products are exported to 80 countries and territories, with the US, Europe, and China being the main markets.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Việt Nam exported 290,000 tonnes worth US$ 2.32 billion in the first 10 month of this year, a year-on-year increase of 5.5 per cent in volume and 16.4 per cent in value.

The full year’s exports are expected to reach a record $3 billion, with kernel accounting for $2.8 billion.

Raw cashew imported

"But the Vietnamese cashew industry faces high risk due to its massive reliance on imported raw materials, which also makes it hard for processors and exporters to control quality or food safety and hygiene," Nguyễn Đức Thanh, chairman of the Việt Nam Cashew Association (Vinacas), said.

Demand for raw nut imports doubled in 2013-16, he said.

He quoted quality checking company Vinacontrol as saying the quality of raw cashew imported from Africa had been lower this year compared to last, affecting Vietnamese exporters.

Trade disputes also increased significantly this year, he said.

This was due to raw cashew prices fluctuating sharply at the beginning of the harvest season ($1,350 per tonne in March) and the end of the season ($1,750 in September), which meant those who signed contracts to sell at the start of the season were unable to fulfil them.

"Some Vietnamese importers have been guilty of failing to study the market or their partners, and not being diligent while negotiating and signing contracts," he said.

Companies need to have a strategy to develop raw material sources, and be more careful about importing raw nuts, he said.

The association would work with African countries to persuade them to refuse export quotas to firms not fulfilling their contracts with Vietnamese firms, he said.

The association listed specifications for raw cashew nuts and displayed samples of purchase contracts.

Việt Nam and African countries like Ivory Coast and Nigeria discussed ways to boost co-operation in cashew trade.

The two-day Việt Nam Golden Cashew Rendezvous is being organised by Vinacas and Vietrade.

Source: http://vietnamnews.vn/

California Pistachios Are Set For Record Year

By Brian German, Associate Broadcaster

California produces close to 99 percent of the nation’s pistachios. With harvest season just about wrapped up, growers are pleased with this year’s crop.

Last year was a slow one for pistachios, with only 275 million pounds produced.  Because pistachios are alternate-bearing [tendency for an entire tree to produce a greater than average crop one year and a lower than average crop the following year], last year’s disappointing crop allowed the trees to rest before producing this year’s estimated record crop.

Richard Matoian, executive director, American Pistachio Growers, estimated this year’s crop to be between 830 and 850 million pounds. The last record-setting crop was in 2012 when growers produced 555 million pounds of pistachios.  This year, some California growers have reported broken branches due to the heaviness of the crop, a phenominon Matoian has never seen before. 

Just as last year’s lower harvest enabled the pistachio trees to bounce back this year, increased rainfall last winter helped improve irrigation supplies for the nut trees this year.

In addition, more chilling hours last winter also helped boost production.  Pistachio trees require cold nights, with at least 800 hours of temperatures below 19 degrees Fahrenheit.  This winter, trees experienced more than 1,000 hours of those conditions.

Reports indicate that the pistachio crop from Iran, one of our biggest global competitors, is a bit down this year, which could help California growers get a better price for their pistachios.  “We all hope and try to keep the market as strong as it can be,” said Matoian, “but there are market forces at work. You can’t hold on to a crop forever. You have to be conscious of what the world supply is, and so a number of factors go into setting a price.”

Growers are pleased with the overall size of the harvest compared to last year, but they’re also a bit concerned about the prices. “The initial price the growers got last year was somewhere between $2 and about $2.20 per pound. Now we are at a $1.60 to about $1.80 per pound,” Matoian said.

Source: http://californiaagtoday.com/

Tanzania: Cashew Market in Turkey Begs for Supplies

Tanzanians can benefit from lucrative cashew nut market in Turkey which begs for more supplies of the popular snack, a Turkey Embassy official has said.Mr Onur Tekyildiz, the Commercial Attache in the Embassy of Turkey, told the 'Daily News' in Dar es Salaam yesterday that Turkey was another huge and more reliable market for cashew nuts where Tanzanian business people can benefit tremendously from cashew nut export.

"Commercial department in the Embassy of Turkey will facilitate trade relations between the two countries (Tanzania and Turkey). Our doors are open to assist," he said while briefing this paper on the visit of 18 Turkish manufacturers of automotive spare parts in the country.The manufacturers of automotive spare parts who are members of Konya Chamber of Commerce plan are in the country seeking area to invest. Konya is a major city in the central Anatolia Region of Turkey which is industrially and economically developed.Mr Tekyildiz named some of the visiting automotive spare parts manufacturers as Ars- Kar Otomotiv, Bumeks Disli Otomativ, Conta-San Conta Sanayi, Demosan Otomativ, Dikmen Leaf Springs Company limited, Elzem Otomativ, Federal Automative Equipment. "Some manufacturers of automotive spare parts have expressed intention to invest in the country," he said.

Mr Tekyildiz pointed out that Turkey has been exporting automotive of spare parts of different brands and models to Europe, South America, Africa, Middle East and other regions.He said Turkish business people held bilateral trade meetings with their Tanzanian counterparts in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, saying the goal of the meetings was to exchange ideas with business people from the two countries.Mr Tekyildiz observed that the trade volume between the two countries reached 150 million US dollars last year since the establishment of Embassy of Turkey and that the Turkish Airlines direct flight has also facilitated the trade growth between the two countries.

Source: http://allafrica.com/s

Lower volumes of chestnuts but of a better quality

The chestnut season started in early October and will continue until the end of the year. Gobbi Frutta collects local produce as well as that from other areas in North and Southern Italy and, in the case of seasons with particularly low volumes, even from abroad (Spain and Portugal).The produce is stocked in warehouses in Cesena, where it is sterilised with innovative natural systems, sorted and graded in compliance with the strictest health and hygiene regulations. Gobbi Frutta holds the GlobalGap, IFS, UNIEN ISO 9001:2008, ISO 22005:2007 and organic certifications.

The company puts on the market a wide range of products, both in terms of variety and grades. "We supply the traditional market and chestnut roasters and our volumes are also increasing in retail. We sell loose produce but, thanks to electronic weighing machines and packagers, we can also supply chestnuts in 0.5 to 2 kg nets and 3, 5 or 10 kg jute bags," explains sales manager Daniel Gobbi. For shipping, Gobbi Frutta works with specialised companies that deliver all over the domestic territory in less than 24 hours.In the past few years, the chestnut gall wasp caused a drop in production but, thanks to an antagonist insect (Torymus sinensis), the situation is going back to normal. As explained by the company's quality manager, Enzo Gentili, "2016 is still not within the norms, though, as the low temperatures and rain during blossoming and pollination affected setting. In our area, where chestnut groves are located at medium-low elevations, our production was rather normal, but drops were considerable in central and southern Italy."Despite the lower volumes, though "quality is definitely higher than in past years. A lower production and favourable weather conferred higher sugar levels."Gobbi Frutta flourished from a long family tradition and continues growing thanks to two main factos - the determination to reach its objectives and the will to create economies of scale to create a high-quality product that meets market and consumer demands.

Source: http://www.freshplaza.com

 

Royal Cashews’ 15th outlet unveiled at WTC

Royal Food Marketing Company unveiled its 15th Royal Cashews outlet at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Colombo. The occasion was graced by the company’s Managing Director Dr. Ruwan Wathugala.  Royal Food Marketing is a leading Cashew processing company in Sri Lanka that caters to local and export markets.

Royal cashews outlets throughout the island in main cities provide consumers cashew with real taste. With a view to providing best quality cashew with mouth-watering flavours to locals and foreigners in hygienic conditions, the company has adapted modern technology.  In addition to the newest outlet unveiled at the WTC, other Royal Cashews outlets are situated at Crescat (Colombo 3), Liberty Plaza (Colombo 3), Floating Market (Pettah), Arcade (Independence Square), K-Zone (Ja-ela and Moratuwa), Kandy City Center (Kandy), Southern Highway (Welipenna stop), Galle, Gampaha, Borella, Kiribathgoda and Nugegoda.

Royal Food Marketing is presently in a drive to enhance its Royal Cashews network of outlets. The company has ISO 22000, HACCP and GMP standard certifications. It is the foremost cashew processing company in Sri Lanka conferred with ISO 22000.

Royal Cashews products come in diverse mouth-watering tastes. The product is marketed with 19 tastes in 682 types of containers and in 101 containers specially made for gifting purposes.  The research and development wing of the company has experimented and introduced cashews with  tastes that are unique to the company. These tastes include cheese and onion, sugar coated, chilli garlic, hot pepper, BBQ, chilli seasoning, Spanish tomato, salt extra fine, shrimp and red onion and sour cream and onion.

In addition to these varieties, Sri Lankan authentic cashew curry canned and exported as ‘Royal Cashew Nut Curry’ by the company has created a heavy demand by foreign countries. Royal Food Marketing Company sources and selects the best quality raw cashew nuts from Sri Lankan cashew cultivations for processing.

Wathugala said the company’s intention is to offer local and foreign consumers, best quality cashew products processed with world standards that sooth their taste buds. “We are in the process of enhancing our outlet network in selected towns in the country. A Royal Cashews outlet was opened at the Floating Market in Pettah with the sole intention of providing best cashew products with the best prices in the market for the people who make cakes,” he said.

He added, “Our company was commissioned in 1999 and within a very short span we were able to secure local and foreign markets for our cashew products. This success was due to the supremacy of our products. Royal Cashews products thus endowed a novel experience for foreign consumers. Likewise, we intend to provide local consumers with world-famous tasty foreign food products in the near future.”

Royal Cashews products are exported to Malaysia, Japan, the USA, the UK, New Zeeland, Germany, Australia, Austria, the Maldives and Saudi Arabia.

The Royal Cashews brand has won many awards, accolades and endorsed with standard certifications. The brand has won Pro Food 2009 and 2011 awards for nature–friendly packaging, MACO business excellence award, Lanka Star President’s Gold Award and ASIASTAR 2015 award for Green packaging.

Royal Food Marketing Company has two subsidiaries – Greenway Asia Lanka and Trust Lanka Suppliers.

Source: http://www.dailymirror.lk

Tanzania: Shilling Appreciates Amid Inflows From Cashew Nuts

Substantial inflows from the cashew nuts has characterised the local market contributing immensely into the appreciation of the shilling against the US dollars.

According to the NMB e-market report, huge appetite from manufacturing, telecom, constructions and SMEs importers have been observed. Only Oil importers and Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) appeared to have an appetite, other sectors were out building up the local currency position for this week.

Market closed at 2165/2195 levels. Market is still liquid on the back of government spending and government securities maturities. Overnight weighted average flat at 13.41 per cent high.

The CRDB market highlights said liquidity in the interbank money market saw some improvements as borrowing rates fell by 55 basis points to 12.86 per cent from previous day rates.

However, total volume traded amongst banks was down by 25 per cent and was recorded at 10.5bn/-. Overall, liquidity has shown some improvements in the market and we expect the same to remain stable towards end of year.

The Kenyan shilling weakened against the dollar on Monday due to increased demand from multinational companies for dollars to make their dividend payments, traders said. At 0717 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 101.65/85 to the dollar, compared with 101.50/70 at Friday's close.

The Ugandan shilling extended its recent losing streak on Monday, hurt by dollar demand pressure from commercial banks and energy sector firms.

At 0928 GMT commercial banks quoted the shilling at 3,510/3,520, weaker than Friday's close of 3,495/3,505.

Source: http://allafrica.com

Australia could benefit from lessons learned in US

California, the world's largest almond-producing region is coming back in to full production after years of drought. According to Rabobank senior vice president and agricultural economist, Vernon Crowder, the state's almond crop was increasing after reduced water availability led to lower production, reports abc.net.au.Mr Crowder said the increase in nut supply would impact prices, but he was not predicting a dramatic fall in the crop's worth.He said the industry was bouncing back, but Australia could benefit from the lessons the American industry has had to learn around soil and water availability for almonds during drought."California obviously has a lock on the world market. We have 80 per cent, sometimes a little bit more, of the total almond production … we are still driving the market in terms of prices and availability," he said."We saw some significant decreases in yields because of the lack of clean water."That forced down the production and therefore the price had to go to record high levels just to ration the crop throughout the world."We find the current prices, even though they are off significantly from the highs of the last two years, are still very profitable prices, especially with a large crop."

Read more at abc.net.au.

 

Australia continues to build almond trade

Australia looks set to build on its position as the world’s second largest almond producer, despite a resurgence in volumes out of California.

Speaking at the Australian Almond Conference in Melbourne yesterday, Rabobank USA’s senior vice president and senior analyst, Vernon Crowder, predicted Australia would contribute around 8.5 per cent of the global almond crop by 2020, up from 7 per cent currently. Crowder added this share could be as much as 10 per cent by the turn of the decade, due to conservative estimates in Australian crop reporting.

California on the rebound

There is still a significant margin between production Australia and California – the worlds largest almond producing region – with the US state currently accounting for around 80 per cent of the world's almond supply, despite an on-going drought.

Crowder said there had been a reduction in Californian production over recent seasons due to the availability of clean water, which in turn impacted pricing.

"That (water availability) forced down the production and therefore the price had to go to record high levels just to ration the crop throughout the world,” Crowder explained.

Californian production is anticipated to bounce back to more historical volume levels over the coming season, as new water sources have become available and new production comes online.

Californian growers have planted some 47,000ha of new acreage according to Rabobank. Crowder said around 70 per cent of these plantings are new orchards, with growers increasingly looking to establish production bases north of the San Joaquin Valley, where there is a greater availability of water.

Crowder didn’t anticipate a substantial drop in prices as a result of the increasing volume.

"They won’t be the record highs of the last two years but they will still be very profitable prices,” he said. “More than half the crop from this last fall (in California) has already been sold.”

Cracking the tough nuts

Following Crowder’s presentation, the Almond Board of Australia’s marketing programme manger, Joseph Ebbage, unveiled a new partnership between the peak body and the Australian Football League’s Players Association (AFLPA).

The pair will team-up to present the Tough Nut campaign over the bulk of the 2017 AFL season, which will see a number of high-profile players share their love of almonds with footy fans.

Source: http://www.fruitnet.com/

Prices not expected to fall as Californian almond production returns to strength

The world's largest almond-producing region is coming back in to full production after years of drought. Rabobank senior vice president and agricultural economist Vernon Crowder said California's almond crop was increasing after reduced water availability led to lower production.

Mr Crowder said the increase in nut supply would impact prices, but he was not predicting a dramatic fall in the crop's worth. He said the industry was bouncing back, but Australia could benefit from the lessons the American industry had had to learn around soil and water availability for almonds during drought.

"California obviously has a lock on the world market. We have 80 per cent, sometimes a little bit more, of the total almond production … we are still driving the market in terms of prices and availability," he said. "That forced down the production and therefore the price had to go to record high levels just to ration the crop throughout the world.

"We find the current prices, even though they are off significantly from the highs of the last two years, are still very profitable prices, especially with a large crop."

Negative nut press has not hurt industry

During the American drought, negative press about the water used to grow almonds turned some consumers against the nuts. Mr Crowder said while this was a factor, it had not had a long-lasting impact on almond consumption.

"The initial reaction was really the frustration the consumers had with the conservations they were being obliged to do," he said. "The publicity was very bad initially. The Almond Board in California actually did a very good job of answering some of those questions.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au

Almond growers plant 14.5 million new trees despite price slide

A nursery survey reporting at least 14.5 million new almond trees have been planted since June 2015 shows the continued vibrancy of the industry, experts say.

Based on an average of 135 trees per acre, the new purchases equate to 108,000 acres of almonds planted, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

A little more than 71 percent of the trees sold — or 77,000 acres — are new almond orchards while the rest were used to replace existing trees or orchards that were taken out, the agency explains.

The estimate is consistent with an April acreage report that found there are 220,000 non-bearing acres of almonds waiting to come on line, said Richard Waycott, president and chief executive officer of the Almond Board of California.

“Those trees are between 1 and 3 years of age,” said Waycott, noting that if one-third of them are new, that would be close to 77,000 acres. “It’s in keeping with where we are in terms of new orchard expansion.”

The growth continues as prices have fallen by nearly half in the past year from the more than $4 a pound that was paid for some almonds during the 2014 crop year. The reduced prices and development of new products using almonds revived demand, leading to record shipments this summer, industry officials said.

“It’s still a good investment,” University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor Roger Duncan said of almonds. “It still makes sense. Farmers are still making money. It’s still profitable. If you’re a farmer and you own land, you have to farm something, and you look at all your options.”

Several factors have fed the continued growth in acreage even amid lower prices, experts said. For one thing, some of the trees may have been ordered from nurseries while prices were still booming, as there was a waiting list of a year or two for some varieties.

Moreover, the lower prices were an incentive for growers to replace older orchards that had lost productivity, Duncan said.

“An almond orchard’s lifespan is somewhere around 25 years,” he said. “A lot of orchards have been artificially ... kept on life support. In previous times they would have been removed, but because prices were so high, even the fairly poorly producing orchards were making money.”

Satellite imagery used by the Almond Board has found that 96 percent of new almond orchards have gone into existing irrigated land, replacing other crops, Waycott said. Only 4 percent went onto grazing land or other land that wasn’t irrigated, he said.

“I think it’s just a shift going on between what (crops) are more profitable as foreseen by growers and more essential in the California environment than certain crops that can be grown elsewhere,” Waycott said.

In anticipation of a 25 percent increase in production over the next three years as the new trees come on line, the Almond Board is seeking the USDA’s permission to raise its grower assessment from 3 cents to 4 cents per pound, which would increase its income from about $60 million to $80 million annually, Waycott said.

The board is boosting its marketing efforts, reigniting a program in Japan, targeting men in Canada and increasing funding for an advertising campaign in Europe, he said. In January, the board will begin assessing the Mexican market for opportunities to promote almonds, he said.

“Across many of our existing and some new programs, we’re upping our game” to make sure demand keeps up with supply, he said.

Source: http://www.capitalpress.com

With many schools saying no to peanuts, parents turn to almonds, cashew spreads

With almost one third of schools now "peanut free," parents are always looking for options beyond peanut butter. The good news on that front is that there are more nut butters available than ever before, and most of them can be brought safely into peanut-free schools.

Consumer Reports evaluated a dozen cashew and almond-based spreads for both nutrition and taste. Like peanut butter, they are a source of protein and help keep kids full longer. Almond butters have 6 to 7 grams of protein per serving, and cashew spreads have between 4 and 5 grams. To prevent separation and give the spreads a creamy texture, some manufacturers add hydrogenated oil, palm or palm fruit oil, which are mostly saturated fats.

"We found the spreads with the fewet ingredients, basically just nuts, were healthier, they tasted better, too," Consumer Reports' Patricia Calvo said. Consume Reports gave high marks to Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Almond Butter Cream for its distinct almond flavor. Kirkland Signature Creamy Almond Butter from Costco has a natural sweetness, testers said.

As for cashew butters, Consumer Reports recommends one from Whole Foods and organic cashew butter from Once Again. For schools that are totally nut free, parents may want to try a sunflower seed-based butter. Consumer Reports recommends Sunbutter Natural Sunflower Spread or Trader Joe's Sunflower Seed Butter.

Source:http://www.wral.com

How will an impending cashew shortage impact the dairy-alternative market?

Global demand for cashews has spiked 53% since 2010 and exceeded production rates for four of the past seven years, making its sales the fastest-growing in the tree-nut category, according to Bloomberg.An unprecedented drought in Vietnam, the world's top cashew importer, threatens to further reduce supplies and skyrocket prices. The current market is valued at $52 billion. Exports have jumped 70% in a decade, and 25% of all cashew shipments come to the U.S. The nuts are used to make products like cashew milk and protein bars, or sold as snacks.

Dive Insight:

 Cashew popularity has outpaced both pistachios and almonds in recent years, securing its place as nut of the moment in the $30 billion tree-nut market. The U.S. is the second largest importer of the nut after India, and the Vietnam Cashew Association predicts that 34% of the 300,000 tons of processed cashews exported in 2016 will come to the U.S.Consumer interest in dairy-alternative products has fueled much of the nut's popularity. Though almonds are generally perceived as the gold standard for nut-based milks and cheeses, major manufacturers have begun incorporating cashews into their products because of perceived agricultural benefits. While almonds are grown primarily in California and are increasing the state's water strain, cashews can be imported from Vietnam without leaching U.S. resources.It remains to be seen how brands like JIF and Silk, which use the nut for cashew butter and cashew milk, respectively, respond to the impending nut shortage. Higher prices may turn consumers back to soy and almond alternative dairy products, but its unlikely that it will reduce overall interest in the dairy alternative sector, which is estimated to grow to $21.7 billion by 2022.Cashews can also be imported from other regions, including Brazil, India and several African countries, which may soften the blow to the market.

Source:http://www.fooddive.com/n

Drought in Vietnam raises fears of a squeeze in growing cashew market

Get ready for some cashew price shock.

The global popularity of the kidney-shaped nut has been growing faster than any other tree nut - even almonds. Demand jumped 53 per cent since 2010, industry data shows.Now the worst drought in a century for Vietnam, the largest exporter, is raising concern that supplies will be even tighter in a market valued at US$5.2 billion ($7.2b).A lack of rain in the once-fertile Mekong Delta and elsewhere in Vietnam has cut output of its major agricultural exports including rice, black pepper, coffee and seafood.This year's cashew harvest fell 11 per cent, and domestic prices jumped by as much as a third to an all-time high, a growers' group estimates. That spells trouble for buyers in the United States, by far the biggest importer."There's been no year like this year," Nguyen Duc Thanh, chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association, said in Ho Chi Minh City.Prices would probably remain high until the next harvest, early next year, said Thanh, who has been in the industry for three decades.While peanuts, which grow underground, are by far the most popular in the nut world, cashews have overtaken walnuts and pistachios in recent years to trail only almonds in the US$30b market for tree nuts, International Nut and Dried Fruit Council data shows.Global cashew consumption in 2014, the most recent data available, reached a record 716,682 metric tonnes, up from 469,241 tonnes in 2010.

Rising demand, including from China and parts of Europe, helped spark a 70 per cent jump in exports over a decade to 503,713 tonnes in 2014.A quarter of all shipments end up in the US, to be eaten as a snack or used to make foods such as protein bars and cashew milk.India accounts for almost a third of global consumption and is the second-largest exporter. Ivory Coast is the number two producer, followed by Vietnam.Cashew trees are usually grown commercially in places where they can get a lot of rain and warm weather year round, like in southeast Vietnam.But over the past year, an unusual dry spell has left 2 million people in the country with acute water shortages and 18 of 63 provinces were in a state of emergency as of May, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.Losses in agriculture, a major source of export revenue, may prevent the economy from reaching the Government's growth target this year.In Binh Phuoc province, home to more than half of Vietnam's crop, 45-year-old Hoang Thuy Duong says he got just 8 tonnes this year, compared with his usual average of 11 tonnes.The drought "has stunted many of my cashew trees, keeping them from producing buds, much less flowers," said Duong, who has spent more than two decades farming 4ha.The domestic price of raw nuts has jumped to 52,000 dong (US$2.33) a kilogram, the highest on record, from 38,000 dong at the start of the year, according to the cashew association.

Shelled nuts

To be sure, Vietnam's cashew industry isn't completely dependent upon local farmers.

About two-thirds of what it processes is grown somewhere else.West Africa accounted for about 46 per cent of the world's cashews in 2015, and most of those nuts are processed in India, Vietnam or Brazil.Processing is labour-intensive. Trees produce an oval-shaped fruit called the cashew apple with a single nut on the outside.Once harvested, the shells are softened by steam and then cracked by hand. The kernels are dried, peeled and sorted by size and quality.Workers often coat their hands with oil to limit exposure to skin-irritating toxins in the fruit, similar to those in poison ivy.So, even with a smaller domestic crop, Vietnam's exports will probably rise this year, partly because of a big jump in production from Ivory Coast.Vietnam may import about 800,000 tonnes of raw nuts in the shell this year, twice the amount grown locally, according to Thanh of the cashew association.While the country accounts for about 15 per cent of global production, it supplied 58 per cent of exports in 2014.

More exports

The Vietnam Cashew Association estimates exports this year will reach 300,000 tonnes of processed nuts - up from 286,000 tonnes last year - with 34 per cent going to the US.In the first 10 months, cashews accounted for US$2.33b of Vietnam's US$144b in exports, reflecting a rise in the volume of processed kernels as well as higher prices, said the General Statistics Office in Hanoi.The full-year total may reach an all-time high of US$2.7b, topping last year's record of US$2.4b, the association said.While increased output from Africa may offset lost supply in Vietnam, rising demand is still affecting the market for processed nuts.Export prices on average had jumped 22 per cent this year to US$7809 a tonne in August, Thanh said, citing data from Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade.Shipment prices averaged US$9000 per tonne on an FOB basis in Ho Chi Minh City this week, he said."We expect global demand to grow in the low single digits this year against a supply that is expected to be flat or slightly lower than last year," said Amit Khirbat, a senior vice-president at Olam International, a trading company that is the largest exporter of cashews in Vietnam."The high prices this year could affect overall demand next year."

By the numbers: Cashew nut exports

• 58% - Vietnam*

• 23% - India

• 5% - Netherlands

• 3% - Brazil

• 2% - Indonesia

• 9% - Rest of world

* Vietnam processes raw domestic nuts as well as imports from Africa

Source: International Nut and Dried Fruit Council. Data from 2014

The whole world is excited about the product that Vietnam is a leading exporter

However, perhaps the price of cashews will also rise even more when the biggest exporter Vietnam had to go through the worst drought recently and supplies can be limited, thereby affecting the market $ 5.2 billion this field.

The shortage of rainfall in the Mekong region and parts of Vietnam has made many export crops such as rice, pepper, coffee or affected fisheries.

From the beginning of the year, yields were down 11% cashews also the domestic agricultural prices rose to record highs 1/3. Currently American consumers are the customers suffer the most from this situation when the US is consuming cashews world's No. 2.

http://cafefcdn.com/2016/photo-0-1477972109959.png

Chairman of Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), said Nguyen Duc Thanh said the market was never like this year's happenings. According to Thanh, cashew prices will likely remain high until harvest season early next year.

INC's figures show that despite accounting for crown peanuts still in the cashew sector but has quickly overcome some walnuts and other nuts on this $ 30 billion market. Cashew consumption worldwide has increased from 469 241 tons in 2010 to a record 716 682 tons in 2014.

The rising demand from China and some European countries have made cashew exports increased by 70% globally in the last 10 years up to 503 713 tons in 2014.

Although India is the largest cashew nut consumption in the world with nearly one third of total production but it is the 2nd largest exporter of this commodity world to consumers here should not be affected much. Meanwhile, the US imported nearly 1/4 cashew production in the world and certainly in the US agricultural prices will rise sharply.

Cashews are often planted in areas with more rainfall and warm weather all year round, such as the Southeast region of Vietnam. However, the unusually hot dry spell of weather for almost 1 years has left nearly 2 million people here live in water shortages.

The price of raw cashew nuts in Vietnam has increased from 38,000 VND / kg early this year to 52,000 VND / kg, a record high.

Vietnam exported cashew nuts grown in West Africa ...

However, many experts believe that Vietnam cashew will not influenced from weather when 2/3 of processed nuts are grown here from other countries.

West Africa is currently growing countries to 46% of raw cashew nuts in the world and they are exported to countries such as Vietnam, India or Brazil for processing.

So, even if yields decline, or that of domestic exports of Vietnam cashew industry will still grow this year.

According to Thanh, Vietnam is likely to import up to 800,000 tons of raw cashew nuts this year, twice as high as the domestic harvest. 2014, Vietnam only account for 15% of cashew nuts are grown in the world, but 58% of cashew nuts exported globally.

http://cafefcdn.com/2016/photo-1-1477972109967.png

Vinacas Association predicts that Vietnam's exports this year will increase from 286,000 tons to 300,000 tons last year and 34% of exports going to the US market.

In the first 10 months of 2016, cashews contributed US $ 2.33 billion in total exports of 144 billion dollars in Vietnam and Vinacas estimated this figure could reach a record 2.77 billion at the end of the year, higher than $ 2.4 billion by 2015.

Despite increased imports of raw cashew nuts from Africa but strong demand in the world will make the price increase and stimulate cashew exports for Vietnam. Cashew export price of Vietnam has increased 22% to $ 7,809 / ton in March 8/2016.

Bang Tam

Source: Intellectuals children / CafeBiz

It is about increasing the price shock?

Be prepared for a big shock in this sector.

Industry data showed that demand has grown 53% since 2010, faster than any other grain. Now, the most severe droughts in the past century has led Vietnam, the largest exporter of the world that, faced with low yields.

Low rainfall in the Mekong Delta and other regions across the country have reduced production of many agricultural products of Vietnam's main exports such as rice, black pepper, coffee and seafood. Cashew production in crop harvest this year fell 11%, pushing the domestic purchase prices rose 1/3, the highest level ever.

"No year like this year," said Nguyen Duc Thanh, Chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association, told Bloomberg. He added that prices may still be high until harvest early next year.

Cashews have passed walnut and pistachio (pistachio - pistachios) in recent years to rank second in the group after almond tree nuts (tree nuts), according to data from the County Council and the left dry tree international (INC). We market tree nuts valued at $ 30 billion alone is 5.2 billion nuts.

According to the data collected, the global cashew consumption in 2014 reached a record 716 682 tons, up sharply from 469 241 tons in 2010, the INC said. Demand for grains rallied globally sparked exports surged 70% over the past decade, up to 503 713 tons. The US accounted for a quarter of the import market. India accounts for a third of global consumption, and is the second largest exporter in the world.

http://image.vinanet.vn/uploaded/thuhai/2016_11_02/-1x-1_1136961_yvxh.png

Cashew trade usually planted in areas with high rainfall and warm climate such as South Vietnam. However, unusually dry spell during the last year have caused damage in the agricultural sector, affecting economic growth target this year by the Government.

In Binh Phuoc province, the province accounted for more than half of the harvest that Vietnam, Mr. Hoang Thuy Duong (45) said he only harvested 8 tons of things this year, lower than the average of 11 tons. Drought "has made it stunted trees, causing reduced ability buds flowering, fruit set," said Ocean - farmers planted more than 20 years 4 hectares thing - said.

Domestic price of crude rose to 52,000 VND per kg, a record high, up from 38,000 contracts earlier this year, according to data from the Association Article (Vinacas).

Exposing cashews

However, Vietnam's cashew industry is not completely dependent on local production. Approximately 2/3 of the sector input source is coming from elsewhere. West Africa accounts for about 46% world production of crude in 2015, and much of it grown here are processed in India, Vietnam and Brazil.

http://image.vinanet.vn/uploaded/thuhai/2016_11_02/-1x-1-(1)_11313427_xydf.png

The labor-intensive processing. Each area harvested cashew nut shell is softened by steam then be peeled off by hand. The seeds are dried, peeled and are classified according to size and quality. Workers often have to apply oil on hand to avoid exposure to toxins in the left thing, inherent toxicity equivalent of ivy leaves.

Therefore, even if the decline in domestic production, export turnover of Vietnam that could still rise sharply, partly due to lower production in the Ivory Coast is growing. Vietnam may import about 800,000 tons of crude unshelled this year, double the output in the country, according to Mr. Thanh. Vietnam accounts for 15% of global output of 58% market share and exports in 2014.

Exports increase

Vietnam Cashew Association estimates exports this year will reach 300,000 tons of grain processing, up from 286,000 tons last year, of which exports to the US accounted for 34%. In the first 10 months, cashews contributed 2.33 billion USD in export turnover of Vietnam, both the export volume and value increased, according to the General Statistics Office. The value of exports this year could reach a record $ 2.7 billion, surpassing last year's record level of $ 2.4 billion.

While output from Africa can compensate for a revenue loss of crops Vietnam, the increased demand is still affecting the market processing. The price of exports rose 22% to $ 7,809 a ton in August, Mr Thanh said, according to the Ministry of Industry of Vietnam. The price per ton of exported under FOB HCMC reached $ 9,000 on April 30/10.

"We expect global demand growth in a number of years, in contrast to the supply is said to be stable or may be lower than last year," Amit Khirbat, Senior Vice President at Olam International , a trading company that Vietnam, said. "The high prices this year could affect the overall demand in the coming year."

An Phong

Source: Vinanet / Nhipcaudautu / Bloomberg

Opportunities for cashew nuts in Binh Phuoc

WHAT IS THE NUMBER 1 Binh Phuoc

In 1982, Vietnam's cashew an area of about 5,000 hectares, by 2005 this area increased by nearly 70 times, ie 349.7 thousand hectares. Vitality, drought tolerant, easy to grow and invest less has "conquered" Binh Phuoc farmers switch to growing crops from it, including ethnic S'tieng, this ancient Khmer capital only familiar with maize, rice.

After re-establishment date 1-1-1997, Binh Phuoc endowed with 60% of basalt soil, favorable populated for free migration in the provinces and cities nationwide to settle. Growing things is also the choice of many migrant households free. Therefore, the province has formed the major focus areas for cashew cultivation in Dong Phu District 3, Bu Dang, Phuoc Long. Binh Phuoc become the capital of cashew, accounting for about 50% of the area under cultivation in the country. Specifically, in 2007, the province has 171,136 hectares / 350,000 hectares nationwide. 2008-2013 period was the heyday of the rubber (no SOEs) should farmers massively tight rubber articles, which reduce the average area of about 10,000 ha / year. But by 2016, the area which is still 134 014 ha Binh Phuoc, in which 131 512 hectares for products (not including that of the land area of about 15,000 hectares of forest stand) / 291 959 ha of the country. As planned by 2020, stabilizing the country which 300,000 ha area, of which 200,000 ha Binh Phuoc.

According to data from the General Statistics Office, in 2015 (the year that season) yield that the national average of 1.2 tons / ha, including Binh Phuoc reached over 1.45 t / ha (Ivorian cashew area The world's largest productivity was only 0.7 tons / ha). Binh Phuoc cashews are renowned in the world of flavor, crunchy and conquer consumers when it comes to nuts is thinking of Binh Phuoc.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dau expert group in charge of Vinacas, has more than 30 years with cashews, Vietnam's leading experts on things, said Binh Phuoc is the No. 1 thing, because in the process of testing 115 plants in the province of Binh Phuoc it has 78 outstanding trees, accounting for 80%, given Vietnam on grain quality. Thereby, affirming that the same gene Binh Phuoc better quality varieties of Thailand or the Philippines that some production facilities are advertising.

EXPECTED TO BE LINKED TO FARMERS

As reported by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has 77 612 households across the province currently under cultivation. While rubber prices "hit bottom", the price of high and stable during the third season, farmers invested excited orchard care. Thus, it rose from 0.9 yield t / ha to 1.5 tons / ha in 2015 and 1.4 tons / ha in 2016 (due to severe drought affected).

To keep the price of things, reduce commercial fraud affecting the prestige and quality of cashew nuts, the province has emerged linking models of cashew farmers. According to data from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province has 5 production cooperatives that (Bu Dop 2, Bu Dang Dong Xoai 2 and 1); 5 cooperative (Dong Phu 1, Bu Dang 2, Dong Xoai 1 and Bu Dop 1). Typically Cooperative (Cooperative) in Tien Phuoc Hung Hung, Dong Xoai Town link FLO standard production and exports Organic market through Europe, America, Japan, Korea ... via business processing and consumption as import-export company Vietnam Ha and partners. Also Cooperative Phuoc Hung, co-operative unions in Binh Phuoc that there is cooperative in Dong Nai 3, Thanh Phat (Bu Dang) and BGM (BGM). In doing so, they Dong Nai has also been labeled an international trade fair. Binh Phuoc Cooperative Union which are guided by cooperative members and Thanh Phat BGM organic cashew production. This is the quickest steps can soon be recognized Fair Trade Organization fair trade labeling.

Binh Phuoc province has focused attention and has built cashew development project sustainable thing. In which the planning of key areas to support cashew farmers along the value chain, building on the basis of agricultural cooperatives - trade services and new types to ensure the input of fertilizer materials for the commune the output member and the corresponding value clean cashews. Binh Phuoc is also building cashews geographical indications.

According to data from the Department of Trade and Industry, the province currently has 200 corporate and 400 individual processing facilities; 31 businesses involved in exporting directly, with a capacity of about 82,000 tons / year. However, the export of crude exported mainly to low economic value. Processing enterprises, but mainly something many small, financial capacity and weak business administration should not care about food safety and hygiene; register now Quality ISO, HACCP, GMP can count on the fingers.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, Chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) at a meeting with Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee dated 7-9-2016 said Vietnam 10 consecutive years ranked No. 1 industry and export processing individual, with about 350 businesses involved in exporting. However, the price divided into 3 categories: High prices now ensure food safety (mainly businesses that G20); The average price of a lot of business and lower selling prices (small and medium enterprises). The trend of the market is safe product selection, quality, production originated despite high prices. Chairman Nguyen Duc Thanh Vinacas said that to take advantage of the local raw materials with top quality world and you have successfully built brand Binh Phuoc cashews, should enhance the value of products by collection medium deep processing production luxury goods, high price.

Consumers around the world are directed to use food product particles but must be clean. So, now wants to be associated with Binh Phuoc to farmers of raw materials with delicious flavor. At the capacity building workshop that deep-processing enterprises (May 5-2016), many businesses, including Ha My Joint Stock Company (Dong Phu) petition local government to create conditions for venture with farmers to build the local raw materials. Ms. Tran Thi Yen, director of the cooperative that BGM (BGM) said: The time in Phuoc Phuc Long An has put the issue of raw materials purchased from farmers' cooperatives purchased, by product of cooperative members sell cooperative Alliance. Accordingly, businesses will create the conditions for farmers to borrow funds orchard care to minimize the pledge garden, black-interest credit "exorbitant" in remote areas, ethnic minority areas minority.

The time that domestic production meets only 30% of processing capacity (400-500 thousand tons / 1.4 million tons / year). Export processing industries that Vietnam does not have rivals competing countries including leading output of India and West Africa. Expected in 2018, the free trade agreements such as the TPP, the Asia - Europe, ASEAN came into force, while agricultural products brand, origin will enjoy tax advantages for import into the country in free trade block.

Cashew is "bright spot" in the agricultural exports of Vietnam, where the US market accounted for 30% share of cashew processing business should be forced to complete the prestigious production, improve governance now to dominate the market. Now synonymous thing there is only successful when linked with farmers to Binh Phuoc of raw materials quality, delicious flavors in the world.

Phuong Ha

Source: Binh Phuoc OL