<p></p><p>In India, while the exports of cashew nuts have continued their downward spiral in the current fiscal year, imports of raw cashew nuts (RCN) have increased. <br></p> <p>Total exports during April-November 2015 stood at 64,220 tons valued at `3.2bln at a unit value of `505.81 a kg. Whereas, during the corresponding period last year total shipments stood at 78,715 tons valued at `3.5bln at a unit value of `447.50 a kg. <br></p> <p>At the same time, imports of RCN increased to 8,12,047 tons valued at `6.9 bln during the first eight months of the current financial from 7,91,245 tons valued at `5.3 bln in the same period the previous fiscal. <br></p> <p>The unit value also showed a rise to `85.92 a kg from `67.13. Exports of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid/Cardanol during the current fiscal rose to 7,653 tons valued at `40.8 m from 6,944 tons valued at `32.2 m. Unit value realisation stood at `53.42/kg (`46.50), according to Sasi Varma, Executive Director and Secretary, Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI). <br></p> <p>“Nearly 50 per cent of the factories in the organised sector continued to remain closed from April 1, following a substantial hike in the wages by the state government and high raw nut prices. As a result, exports continued to decline, adversely affecting the industry on the export front,” Sundaran Prabha, Chairman, CEPCI, told BusinessLine. <br></p> <p>However, good persisting domestic demand, he said, is presently supporting the industry but how long it will sustain cannot be predicted, he said. <br></p> <p>(1 rupee equals 0.015 USD)<br></p><p></p>