<p></p><p>Cashew exports rose to a record high last fiscal in volume and value compared with the previous fiscal. Total shipments during 2013-14 increased by over 13 per cent to 1,13,620 tons from 1,00,105 tons. Total value realisation was <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow">`</a>4,975.96 crore (`4,046.23 crore) despite an increase in the average unit value to `439.34/kg, according to Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI).</p> <p>“Performance in all the segments of exports, including cashew nut shell liquid, roasted and salted cashew kernel showed an upsurge as market conditions were favourable,” K Sasi Varma, Executive Director and Secretary, CEPCI, told Business Line. </p><p>Export of cashew nut shell liquid also rose during last fiscal to 9,226 tons valued at `37.26 crore from 9,192 tons valued at `29.84 crore during April-March 2012-13, he said.</p> <p><b>Processing units</b> </p><p>Varma said that the cashew processing facility in the country could process over two million tons of raw nuts but the availability is limited, making up some one-third of the requirement.</p> <p>Therefore, the processing-exporting industry has to depend on imported raw nuts for decades. Unfavourable exchange rate, coupled with high (non-parity) prices, has caused a drop in imports of raw nuts which is likely to affect exports later on, Varma said.</p> <p>Imports of raw nuts decreased during 2013-14 to 7,58,111 tons valued at `4,457.72 crore from 8,92,365 tons valued at `5,331.74 crore, he said. </p><p><b>Low yields </b></p><p>Though raw cashew nut production in India has more than doubled in the last two decades, poor yield is still a cause for concern compared to competitors such as Vietnam. The area under the crop has increased to over 10 lakh hectares in 2013-14 from around 9.8 lakh hectares in 2012-13.</p> <p>The production last fiscal is estimated at around 7.4 lakh tons against 7.3 lakh tons the previous financial year, according to official sources. </p><p><b>Viet statistics </b></p><p>Vietnam, of late, has emerged as the top producer of the commodity displacing India.</p> <p>Total raw cashew production in Vietnam in 1993 was 1.86 lakh tons from 69,100 hectares. It shot up to 12.73 lakh tons from a total area of 3.31 lakh hectares in 2011, according to the latest FAO statistics. The yield from a hectare is currently 3.8 tons in Vietnam against India’s 772 kg. </p><p> </p><br><p></p><br><br><br>