Vietnamese farmers expect higher profits with CPTPP trade agreement

At least $40 billion worth of export turnover from farm produce in 2018 is within reach, some experts believe. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, said that with CPTPP (which is essentially the old TPP without the US), Vietnamese farmers will receive benefits because technical barriers and requirements on imports are not as high compared with the former TPP that included US participation.

Vietnam’s farm produce export turnover was $36 billion last year. A $40 billion export turnover is quite within reach this year, though farmers have higher expectations Tuan believes that Vietnam’s wooden furniture, seafood, coffee, pepper, cashew nut and rice products will have better opportunities to enter Australia, Canada, Mexico and Japan.  However, animal husbandry will have to compete with imports from CTPP countries, especially beef, pork, chicken and dairy products, because of the tariff removal.

FTAs facilitate trade liberalization with tariff removals. However, tariff barriers are still used by member countries to protect some of their important business fields. Japan, for example, wants to protect its rice production, while Latin American countries want to ‘play for time’ in opening rice and fruit markets. “We are ready for a field in which there are many big players and we have to follow the rules of the game,” Tuan said.

Minister of Agriculture Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that Vietnam’s farm produce is exported to 180 countries and territories. With the CPTPP, Vietnam would have a large market with 500 million consumers and 14 percent of the global GDP. “Vietnam’s farm produce export turnover was $36 billion last year. A $40 billion export turnover is quite within reach this year, though farmers have higher expectations,” Cuong said.

Do Ha Nam, chair of Intimex, one of the largest Vietnamese farm produce exporters, is optimistic about Vietnam’s produce exports in the CPTPP period, saying that Vietnam has no match among CPTPP members in the field. Vietnam exports mostly raw farm produce. Processed products such as instant coffee and cashew nuts bear high tax rates of 20-40 percent. But in the future, when the tariff is cut to zero percent, Vietnamese enterprises will focus on making processed products rather than raw materials to earn more money.

Tran Van Linh, chair of Thuan Phuoc Seafood & Trade, however, was cautious when talking about the benefits of the CPTPP. He said Vietnamese enterprises will be able to benefit from the tax cuts, but “this will not be too much”. “Once the tariff is cut to zero percent, foreign importers will surely force the prices down,” he explained.

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

Ghana to stop exporting raw materials – Osafo Marfo

Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo, Senior Minister, has hinted at plans by government to halt the export of raw materials from Ghana to enrich other economies. “There will be no export of raw materials from this country. Government is determined that we are going to have value addition to our raw materials to create employment for our own people,” he said.

Mr. Marfo said this on Thursday at Batsona during the inauguration of the Tema West Municipal Assembly which was carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).

Observing the effects that the exported raw materials has had on Ghana, he said, “We cannot have a situation in which our raw materials are used to create employment for people elsewhere whilst our people live in poverty.”

He said, “We want jobs for our people. The number one problem we have in Ghana today is unemployment, but we always export our raw materials unprocessed for them to process which brings a lot of revenue and create jobs for their people.”

“So government has resolved that it won’t allow the export of these materials without adding value to them here in Ghana”.

He said some countries had such a law, and that the government was currently looking at a draft legislation which would demand that all raw materials in Ghana should be processed before exported.

Source:https://www.ghanaweb.com

Ghana to stop exporting raw materials – Osafo Marfo

Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo, Senior Minister, has hinted at plans by government to halt the export of raw materials from Ghana to enrich other economies. “There will be no export of raw materials from this country. Government is determined that we are going to have value addition to our raw materials to create employment for our own people,” he said.

Mr. Marfo said this on Thursday at Batsona during the inauguration of the Tema West Municipal Assembly which was carved out of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA).

Observing the effects that the exported raw materials has had on Ghana, he said, “We cannot have a situation in which our raw materials are used to create employment for people elsewhere whilst our people live in poverty.”

He said, “We want jobs for our people. The number one problem we have in Ghana today is unemployment, but we always export our raw materials unprocessed for them to process which brings a lot of revenue and create jobs for their people.”

“So government has resolved that it won’t allow the export of these materials without adding value to them here in Ghana”.

He said some countries had such a law, and that the government was currently looking at a draft legislation which would demand that all raw materials in Ghana should be processed before exported.

Source:https://www.ghanaweb.com

Cashew firms temporarily halt African imports

Speaking at a conference to review the cashew sector’s performance last year and discuss the year ahead in HCM City on Tuesday, Dang Hoang Giang, Vinacas deputy chairman, said cashew prices in Africa went up by 30 – 40 per cent to a record US$1,956 per tonne on average last year, while processed cashew prices rose by only 10-15 per cent in the global market. In the first two months of this year raw cashew prices have increased to $2,000 per tonne, even to $2,100 in Ivory Coast, he said.

If Vietnamese cashew processors buy the nut at these prices they would suffer losses, Nguyen Duc Thanh, the association chairman, said. He said last year due to a reduction in domestic cashew output, the industry imported over 1.3 million tonnes for processing for export, the highest ever. Viet Nam imported nuts from 32 countries and territories, mainly from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and Cambodia, he said.

Domestic cashew output this year is forecast to be higher than last year at 400,000 tonnes compared to 250,000 tonnes last year. Ta Quang Huyen, chairman of Hoang Son 1 Company, said with higher local output, importers might only need to buy 950,000 to one million tonnes of raw cashew this year.

Besides, supply from Cambodia would also increase significantly this year, helping reduce reliance on African sources, he said. Amid the volatile raw material situation, the association and its members have agreed to shift from quantity to quality by raising the value of cashew nuts with deep processing and developing the domestic market.

Cashew export revenues are expected to be around $3 billion this year, a year-on-year fall of $500 million, Thanh said. Firms would face losses if they buy raw cashew at such high prices to fulfil the target export of $4 billion this year, he added.

Currently the association is working with the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to develop cashew-growing areas and increase output to one million tonnes in the next 10 years. Vinacas would provide cashew seedlings and technical support, and buy the entire output, he said. At the conference, the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, called for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the cashew sector in his country.

In Viet Nam, domestic cashew output meets only 20 -35 per cent of demand. The country has been the world’s largest cashew producer and exporter for many years, accounting for 60 per cent of the global market share.

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

Vietnam will be the world's top exporter for 12 consecutive years

The Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) is aiming to hold the world's top export item for 12 consecutive years. It is quite possible that in 2016, Vietnam's cashew industry will continue to hold the leading position in the world, accounting for 50% of processed cashew and over 60% of global cashew nut.

Nguyen Duc Thanh - Chairman of Vinacas, said at the press conference of the International Conference in Vietnam in 2017, in Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of 3.11.

According to Vinacas, in 2016 domestic cashew processing enterprises processed 1.5 million tons of raw cashew nuts, exported over 348,000 tons of cashew nuts and exported $ 3.1 billion (including $ 2.84 billion cashew nuts, the rest are by-products of the thing). Export value ranked second in Vietnam's five major export commodities including coffee, cashew, vegetables, rice and pepper.

2016 is the 11th year in a row Vietnam cashew nut is the world's leading cashew nut exporter. In 2017, according to the Center for Industry and Commerce, exports of cashews increased both in quantity and value compared to 2016. Specifically, in the first 10 months of the domestic industry reached 294,000 tons and 2.94 billion USD, up 0.4% in volume and up 25.6% in value over the same period in 2016.

The United States, the EU and China have maintained the three biggest cashew import markets of Vietnam, accounting for 35%, 25% and 15% respectively of cashew nut exports.

Earlier, at the Sustainable Farming Conference last October, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, head of the sustainable cashew project, said that the cashew industry in the country has never seen such a difficult situation. In the summer of 2017, yields and yields fell, although the statistics were not accurate.

This means that the processing technology of Vietnamese cashew nuts is very good but also presents a big risk as most of the enterprises have to import raw materials from distant countries for processing. At the same time, there is still a large domestic market where the actual production of raw materials has not met the demand.

Deputy Minister of Trade, 2016 - 2017 has warned about the deterioration of cashew orchard health if there are no measures to speed up crop production, especially when the new season is near. While overseas markets, most competitors are also booming from processing technology to intensive farming.

"As one of the most effective associations in Vietnam, Vinacas and the business community have a responsibility to work with farmers to reduce the risk of climate change, Technical support step by step towards re-farming, intensive farming to improve productivity and stabilize the position of the domestic industry, "Deputy Minister of Business.

Mr. Thanh said that in 2018, Vinacas will continue to go along with farmers and businesses to encourage green production, clean processing, deep processing, development of domestic market and export support to bring total commercial value The cashew nut industry is about $ 3.5 - $ 3.7 billion.

In the export plan, according to Vinacas, despite many difficulties, in 2017, the whole industry still strives to export 330,000 tons of cashew nuts of various kinds with export turnover of cashew nut products of over USD3.3 billion. of which USD 3 billion is exported. This is considered the highest level ever.

"In an effort to overcome the difficulties, in 2017 the sector will continue to maintain market share over 50% of total global cashew exports (about $ 5.5 billion). Vinacas is confident that 2017 will be the 12th year in a row that Vietnam is the world's number one processing and exporting company, "Thanh said.

Organized for the first time in 2008, the International Cashew Conference in Vietnam is the biggest event of the year for cashew industry in the country and the world. This year, with the theme "Talking about cashew nuts, thinking of Vietnam", the 9th International Cashew Conference in Vietnam will be held from 13 to 15.11.2017 in Phu Quoc island district, Kien Giang province. It is expected that there will be 400 domestic and international guests from 40 countries and regions in the world participating in this year's international conference.

The event aims to promote trade promotion, expand trade and develop the market for cashew products; It helps farmers improve their income and cashew processing businesses to develop production and business, contributing to the stability of the sector.

Source: Source: Dan Viet Newspaper

World production of almonds breaks a new record

The global production of almonds has grown by 6% in this campaign. Consumption of this superfood, which is very linked to the production of sweets, is growing every year as an aperitif and ingredient of bars or snacks in the EU, China, or India.

World production of almonds this season reached a record 1.3 million tons, 6% above what was produced in the 2016/17 season, according to the latest estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This volume, calculated in metric tons of almonds in grain, will allow supplying the growing consumption of this nut, which will have a demand of 1.2 million tons this season, i.e. 4% more than in the past season; hence, there will be around 233,000 tons in stock.

Decrease in the estimate for California

The USDA reduced its forecast for the United States - which mainly produces this nut in California - from 1.21 million tons forecast in August to one million tons because of the lower yields in flowering due to meteorological factors.

Almond production in the European Union stood at 103,000 tons, i.e. 13% more than in 2016/17 campaign, thanks to the boost of Spain's harvest, as the Italy produced similar volume levels as in the previous campaign.

Two weeks ago, Jose Maria Alcacera, a member of the organization Asaja in the National Table of Dry Fruits, told Efeagro they had revised the data of the last campaign capacity in June (which was 56,513 tons, i.e. 23.21% more than in 2016) and concluded it had to be lowered to 52,000 or 53,000 tons of almond grain.

The EU imports 3% more American almonds

The USDA doesn't rule out that shipments of Californian almonds to the European Union (EU), where Spain is the main importer, will rise by 3% and exceed 300,000 tons, thanks to the demand of the European industry dedicated to the manufacture of food ingredients, snacks, and confectionery products.

Australia, the third biggest producer, achieved 90,000 tons, that is 10% more than in the previous season.

Appetizers and healthy drinks with almonds

The report also highlighted the growth of Californian almond imports by China (100,000 tons) and by India (95,000 tons), which exceed the figure recorded in the previous season by 7% and 8%, respectively, and which corresponds to their demand in the healthy eating, drinks, sweets, and snacks categories.

Regarding the world production of nuts, the US agricultural authority stated that it expected production to fall to 2.1 million tons, one million of which correspond to China (-6%), 590,000 tons to the USA (-5 %); 120,000 to Chile (+2.5%); 115,000 to the EU (-1.4%); 113,000 to Ukraine (+5%) and 58,000 to Turkey (-5%).

The USDA included data on pistachio for the first time in its nut report, but only those relating to the 2016/17 campaign (777,000 tons, +50%) and didn't make a forecast for 2017/18.

The USA is the largest producer of pistachio with 407,000 tons. It is followed by Turkey (155,000 tons), Iran (153,000 tons), China (116,000 tons) and the EU (89,000 tons).

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

World production of almonds breaks a new record

The global production of almonds has grown by 6% in this campaign. Consumption of this superfood, which is very linked to the production of sweets, is growing every year as an aperitif and ingredient of bars or snacks in the EU, China, or India.

World production of almonds this season reached a record 1.3 million tons, 6% above what was produced in the 2016/17 season, according to the latest estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This volume, calculated in metric tons of almonds in grain, will allow supplying the growing consumption of this nut, which will have a demand of 1.2 million tons this season, i.e. 4% more than in the past season; hence, there will be around 233,000 tons in stock.

Decrease in the estimate for California

The USDA reduced its forecast for the United States - which mainly produces this nut in California - from 1.21 million tons forecast in August to one million tons because of the lower yields in flowering due to meteorological factors.

Almond production in the European Union stood at 103,000 tons, i.e. 13% more than in 2016/17 campaign, thanks to the boost of Spain's harvest, as the Italy produced similar volume levels as in the previous campaign.

Two weeks ago, Jose Maria Alcacera, a member of the organization Asaja in the National Table of Dry Fruits, told Efeagro they had revised the data of the last campaign capacity in June (which was 56,513 tons, i.e. 23.21% more than in 2016) and concluded it had to be lowered to 52,000 or 53,000 tons of almond grain.

The EU imports 3% more American almonds

The USDA doesn't rule out that shipments of Californian almonds to the European Union (EU), where Spain is the main importer, will rise by 3% and exceed 300,000 tons, thanks to the demand of the European industry dedicated to the manufacture of food ingredients, snacks, and confectionery products.

Australia, the third biggest producer, achieved 90,000 tons, that is 10% more than in the previous season.

Appetizers and healthy drinks with almonds

The report also highlighted the growth of Californian almond imports by China (100,000 tons) and by India (95,000 tons), which exceed the figure recorded in the previous season by 7% and 8%, respectively, and which corresponds to their demand in the healthy eating, drinks, sweets, and snacks categories.

Regarding the world production of nuts, the US agricultural authority stated that it expected production to fall to 2.1 million tons, one million of which correspond to China (-6%), 590,000 tons to the USA (-5 %); 120,000 to Chile (+2.5%); 115,000 to the EU (-1.4%); 113,000 to Ukraine (+5%) and 58,000 to Turkey (-5%).

The USDA included data on pistachio for the first time in its nut report, but only those relating to the 2016/17 campaign (777,000 tons, +50%) and didn't make a forecast for 2017/18.

The USA is the largest producer of pistachio with 407,000 tons. It is followed by Turkey (155,000 tons), Iran (153,000 tons), China (116,000 tons) and the EU (89,000 tons).

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

World production of almonds breaks a new record

The global production of almonds has grown by 6% in this campaign. Consumption of this superfood, which is very linked to the production of sweets, is growing every year as an aperitif and ingredient of bars or snacks in the EU, China, or India.

World production of almonds this season reached a record 1.3 million tons, 6% above what was produced in the 2016/17 season, according to the latest estimates of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This volume, calculated in metric tons of almonds in grain, will allow supplying the growing consumption of this nut, which will have a demand of 1.2 million tons this season, i.e. 4% more than in the past season; hence, there will be around 233,000 tons in stock.

Decrease in the estimate for California

The USDA reduced its forecast for the United States - which mainly produces this nut in California - from 1.21 million tons forecast in August to one million tons because of the lower yields in flowering due to meteorological factors.

Almond production in the European Union stood at 103,000 tons, i.e. 13% more than in 2016/17 campaign, thanks to the boost of Spain's harvest, as the Italy produced similar volume levels as in the previous campaign.

Two weeks ago, Jose Maria Alcacera, a member of the organization Asaja in the National Table of Dry Fruits, told Efeagro they had revised the data of the last campaign capacity in June (which was 56,513 tons, i.e. 23.21% more than in 2016) and concluded it had to be lowered to 52,000 or 53,000 tons of almond grain.

The EU imports 3% more American almonds

The USDA doesn't rule out that shipments of Californian almonds to the European Union (EU), where Spain is the main importer, will rise by 3% and exceed 300,000 tons, thanks to the demand of the European industry dedicated to the manufacture of food ingredients, snacks, and confectionery products.

Australia, the third biggest producer, achieved 90,000 tons, that is 10% more than in the previous season.

Appetizers and healthy drinks with almonds

The report also highlighted the growth of Californian almond imports by China (100,000 tons) and by India (95,000 tons), which exceed the figure recorded in the previous season by 7% and 8%, respectively, and which corresponds to their demand in the healthy eating, drinks, sweets, and snacks categories.

Regarding the world production of nuts, the US agricultural authority stated that it expected production to fall to 2.1 million tons, one million of which correspond to China (-6%), 590,000 tons to the USA (-5 %); 120,000 to Chile (+2.5%); 115,000 to the EU (-1.4%); 113,000 to Ukraine (+5%) and 58,000 to Turkey (-5%).

The USDA included data on pistachio for the first time in its nut report, but only those relating to the 2016/17 campaign (777,000 tons, +50%) and didn't make a forecast for 2017/18.

The USA is the largest producer of pistachio with 407,000 tons. It is followed by Turkey (155,000 tons), Iran (153,000 tons), China (116,000 tons) and the EU (89,000 tons).

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

CASHEW MARKET REPORT – 22 OCT 2017

From a range of 5.00-5.25 in second quarter 2017, price for W320 came down to 4.75-5.00 FOB by end Sep / early Oct 2017.

In Week 42, range of offers (with limited activity) has been W240 from 4.90 to 5.15, W320 from 4.75 to 5.00,  W450 from 4.70 to 4.90, SW from 4.50 to 4.70, Splits from 4.40 to 4.60, Pieces from 3.65 to 3.80 FOB

Lower end of the range is for nearbys from small & medium processors who keep selling at whatever price they can because they need to have quick turnover + they cannot make forward sales.

In first half of 2017, prices reached historical peaks – about US$ 2450 for RCN and about US$ 5.25 for W320

GB / Senegal / Gambia RCN which had traded as high as US$ 2400-2450 C&F have come down to approx US$ 2200-2250

Indonesia RCN which was trading around US$ 2450 end Aug / early Sep is down to US$ 2350 per mt.

Tanzania RCN crop is reported to be good. Some pre-auction business has been down from US$ 2450 down to US$ 2350.  First auction in Week 42 saw subdued interest. We have to see strength of processor demand and trader risk appetite in next 2-3 weeks to get indication of movement during the season.

Here are India & Vietnam statistics for last 3 years (Jan to Aug) :

                                         2015                2016              2017

Vietnam Import            710,300           772,500        1,059,400

Vietnam Export             211,100          229,900          230,100

India Import                  772,200          538,500           507,700

India Export                     71,000             51,500            58,700

This shows (1) India share of imports continues to decline – big drop in 2 years (2) India exports in 2017 are better than 2016 but still significantly lower than 2015 (3) Vietnam is increasing both imports & exports (4) there was either a big drop in Vietnam crop or there is a big inventory in Vietnam  (or there is an error in the statistics !!!)

Going forward, market trend for first half 2018 is very unclear.

Prices of Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans have increased from the low levels seen in 2016 / early 2017.  Prices of some other nuts like Macadamia & Brazil Nuts are steady at the higher levels. Cashews are below the peak of mid 2017 and close to the average of 2016.

The increase in Cashew prices over the last 18 months (from Mar/Apr 2016) has been passed on to retail prices – partly in some markets and fully in some others (mainly Asia which is the biggest consumer).  So far, there has not been any indication of big decline in off-take.  It is not certain whether this trend will continue or change.

We do not see scope for any big decline from the current price range UNLESS there is a big fall in activity in kernels in last quarter 2017 as well as first quarter of 2018.

If that happens, processors will be slow in RCN buying leading to lower RCN prices. And if the 2018 Northern crops are normal, we could see a big drop in prices in second quarter 2018.

If there is moderate kernel activity in the next 2 quarters, we will probably see market move sideways in current range. Processors will need to keep buying RCN and this will keep prices steady.  There could be a possibility of a dip to 4.50-4.75 range in second quarter of 2018 if Northern crops are good.

Any spurt in kernel buying in next 3-4 months would lead to a sudden jump in prices because processors would have to rush in to buy RCN. Prices could move up again to 5.00-5.25 range and stay there till 2018 crops are in full swing.

It is quite possible that some traders will sell at lower levels expecting reduction in demand leading to lower prices in 2018 but processors would be reluctant to take positions at lower levels at this stage.  They will wait to get an idea of RCN price trend before making any large kernel sales for 2018 shipments.

Overall, situation is very uncertain and it is much tougher than normal to judge what the trend will be.

Regards,

Pankaj N. Sampat

SAMSONS TRADERS

Tanzania: Farmers Urge Cashwenut Board to Open Agro-Input Shops

The leadership of the Cashewnut Board of Tanzania (CBT) has been asked to expand its scope of services including opening shops for selling agro-inputs in a move aimed at empowering farmers to acquire insecticides for spraying their cashew trees on time. The appeal was made by farmers from Madangwa and Mandawa wards in Ruangwa, Lindi Region, during the auctioning of cashews in Chiuta Village and Mandawa Ward in Ruangwa District Council.

Making the request on behalf of fellow farmers, Mr Nandewa Yusufu said the absence of agro-input shops forced them to walk long hours looking for inputs, which were sometimes not enough because of the big number of cashew trees on their farms. He said besides the inputs not being easily accessible, the stock of inputs sent was sold at a high price. A farmer from Chiuta Village, Mr Mohamedi Muwa, said the situation had caused low cashew yields in the current harvesting season. "The insecticides brought by the government last year were insufficient and the dealers were selling inputs at higher prices contrary to the government's indicative prices," said Mr Muwa.

He added that during the farming season, farmers were often forced to purchase the inputs at higher prices outside their areas. Responding, CBT deputy chairman Edgal Maokola Majogo promised to present the request for input shops to responsible authorities, urging firms that purchased cashews to adhere to conditions put in place including making payments on time to ensure farmers benefit from their cash.

Mr Majogo also called upon executives of primary societies to desist from mixing money obtained from the previous auction and the future auctions as by doing so, he said, it was contravening the procedure tailored by the relevant authority.

In the auction that took place on Monday, October 23, over 2.7 tonnes of cashews and 224 kilos of the product were bought from Nachingwea warehouses in Lindi Region, whereby the highest price of the crop was Sh3,875 and the lowest at Sh3,860.

Source:http://allafrica.com/

Mozambique aims to exceed pre-independence production of cashew nuts

Mozambique is expected to produce 200,000 tonnes of cashew nuts per year in the short term, said Prime Minister Agostinho Carlos do Rosário, who backed up his statement with investments being made in the cash crop.

The prime minister, who recalled that Mozambique had already exceeded that level of production before independence in 1975, said that Nampula is among the country’s provinces to produce the most cashews, with 60,000 tonnes or almost half of the current production of 137,000 tonnes.

Rosário was speaking at the Nassuruma’s intensive cashew production field in Meconta district as part of his working visit to Nampula from Thursday to Saturday last week, according to Mozambican news agency AIM.

The Nassuruma nursery, which belongs to the Institute of Cashew Promotion (Incaju), produces cashew tree seedlings, and in the current

Rosário also visited Alfa-Agricultura, a South African company whose owners spent US$8.6 million on production of cashew nuts, vegetables and fruit on a plot of 1,080 hectares. (macauhub)

Source:https://macauhub.com.mo

Cashew sales fall 20% this Diwali season

Sales hurt by increased imports of kernels, higher raw nut prices and confusion over taxation Local cashew processors have seen a nearly 20 per cent fall in sales this Diwali season from last year, hurt by increased imports of kernels, higher raw nut prices and confusion over taxation. "There has been a spike in the import of cashew kernels.

Though import carries a duty of 45 per cent, cheaper rates (abroad) have led to its rise," said RK Bhoodes, chairman of the Cashew Export Promotion Council of India.

Kernels are currently imported at Rs 300­400 per kg, in both whole and broken forms. "It is profitable as the selling price is higher in India," Bhoodes said. More imports are happening in broken cashews which are largely absorbed by the confectionary industry, he added.

In India, retail cashew prices have moved up around 10 per cent in the past to Rs 800-820 per kg now. Impleyear to mentation of goods and services tax had also hit the traders early on, though the situation has improved since.

GST on cashew was initially fixed at 12 per cent, compared with a 5 per cent tax levied on the commodity before the new system came into effect on July 1.

This created a confusion in the market, leading to a delay in stocking by traders. GST on cashew was subsequently brought down to 5 per cent on the request of the industry.

Also, traders are yet to move fully into the GST system, said K Prakash Rao, managing partner of Kalbavi Cashews. "While the overall sales lower than last year, the demand for premium quality nuts has not waned," Rao added.

Another reason for higher retail prices this year is the rise in the cost of imported raw nut, traders and processors said. Costly raw nuts caused a 20 per cent drop in their imports to 7.70 lakh tonnes in 2016-17.

The cashew industry has called for the scrapping of a 5 per cent duty charged on shipments from Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, which account for a major share of imports.

"Our domestic production of around 7 lakh tonnes and a part of import go for processing for internal consumption. As sufficient nuts are not available, 40 per cent of the (processing) capacity is lying idle," Bhoodes said.

Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Vietnam's cashew exports up in first 9 months

Vietnam's cashew nut exports in the first nine months of this year surged 26.6 percent on-year to nearly 2.6 billion U.S. dollars.

Specifically, Vietnam exported 260,000 tons of cashew nuts, up 1.1 percent, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday.

The United States, the Netherlands and China continued to be the main importers of Vietnamese cashew nuts, which consumed 36.6 percent, 15.9 percent and 11.3 percent of the country's total export value, respectively.

Vietnam would make cashew export turnovers of 3 billion U.S. dollars this year, the Vietnam Cashew Association said, noting that the figure was a target earlier set for 2020. Last year, the country exported 347,000 tons of cashew nuts worth over 2.8 billion U.S. dollars.

Vietnam's cashew-growing area dropped to 290,000 hectares in 2015 from 440,000 hectares in 2007, according to the ministry. In 2016, the area increased by 5,600 hectares.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com

Germany Biggest Buyer of Iranian Pistachio

Germany was the main destination of Iran’s pistachio, as it imported 3,063 tons of pistachio worth $40 million from Iran, in the first five months of the current fiscal year (started March 21). Over 61% of Iran’s exported pistachios were dispatched to Germany, Iraq, Kazakhstan, the UAE, India, Spain and Russia, Trend News Agency reported. However, the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration’s official statistics indicate that Iranian pistachio exports’ value decreased by 40% to earn $198 million and the volume of exports also decreased by 45% to reach 19,000 tons during the five months, compared with the same period of last year.

Iran exported pistachio to 59 countries, including Yugoslavia, Jordan, Armenia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, Australia, Slovakia, South Africa, Afghanistan, Albania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, US, Italy, Bahrain, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Libya, South Korea, Moldova, China, Romania, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Oman, France, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Canada, Kuwait, Lebanon, Poland, Lithuania, Malaysia, Egypt, Vietnam, Netherlands and Hong Kong. ISNA quoted Mahmoud Abtahi, chairman of the board of directors at the Iranian Pistachio Association, as saying that the amount of pistachio production in Iran in the last fiscal year halved to 180,000 tons, which is the main reason behind the decline in export this year.

Head of Iran Pistachio Association, Mohsen Jalalpour, said every year between 8,000 and 12,000 hectares of Iran’s pistachio orchards are lost because of water shortage and soil salinity.“Land under pistachio cultivation in Iran is currently close to 350,000 hectares while during the 2000s, the figure stood at more than 400,000 hectares,” he was quoted as saying by Eranico. Kerman Province in southeast Iran is the country’s biggest producer of pistachio. The province once accounted for 70% of Iran’s pistachio production, but now produces only 30% of all the pistachio grown in the country due to the severe water crisis.

“Pistachio is currently cultivated in 19 provinces across the country, all of which are more or less facing the same issues,” he said.Both Jalalpour and Abtahi estimate this year’s production to stand around 230,000 tons, of which Jalalpour expects some 150,000 tons worth $1.5 billion will be exported to register an 11% and 25% growth in weight and value respectively compared with last year when 135,000 tons worth around $1.2 billion were exported.According to Jalalpour, who is a former chairman of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Iran is the second biggest producer of pistachio after the US and top exporter of the commodity. Deputy Minister of Industries, Mining and Trade Mojtaba Khosrowtaj said Iran supplies more than 50% of the world pistachio market.

Source:https://financialtribune.com

Vietnam remains world’s No 1 exporter of cashews

The country has been relying heavily on the world’s material market. If the material prices fluctuate, Vietnamese enterprises may fail to fulfill export contracts or deliver products on schedule, and their products may not meet requirements on food hygiene.

In 2016, Vietnam exported 347,000 tons of cashew nuts worth $2.84 billion, increasing by 5.6 percent in quantity and 18.4 percent in value compared with 2015. In that year, the world’s total cashew nut output was 3 million tons, while Vietnam imported 1.1 million tons.

In the first eight months of 2017, Vietnam exported 223,000 tons worth $2.2 billion, which represented the 1.1 percent decrease in volume, but the 24.9 percent increase in value compared with the same period of 2016. The average export price was $9,842.5 per ton in the first seven months, or 27.2 percent higher.

According to Vinacas, Vietnam plans to obtain $3 billion from cashew nut exports in 2017, or $160 million higher than 2016. Meanwhile, due to the bad weather, the output is modest, just 300,000 tons and the amount of cashew nuts for processing is 250,000 tons only.

As such, to fulfill the export plan, Vietnam would have to import 200,000 tons more in 2017 than the last year.

According to Nguyen Duc Thanh, chair of Vinacas, most markets which import processed cashew products from Vietnam set high requirements on quality and food hygiene. This means that Vietnamese processors need to be sure that the input materials have high quality. Therefore, Vinacas believes that Vietnam needs to expand the cashew growing area.

Do Ha Nam, chair of Intimex Group, said Vietnam is No 1 in the world in cashew nut processing technology and it has the best products in the world. Therefore, Vietnam needs to boost exports to earn more money. He thinks now is the right time for farmers to expand the cashew growing area again as raw cashew nuts now can go for good prices.

In 1996, Vietnam began importing raw cashew nuts from Africa. In 2016, Vietnam surpassed India to become the biggest cashew nut exporter. Vietnam’s products are consumed in more than 100 markets.

By the end of 2016, Vietnam had 300,000 hectares of cashew growing area, mostly in Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau. The raw material price increased from 10,000-12,000 per kilo some years ago to VND40,000 per kilo.

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