Kerala cashew sector to tap Japanese market in post-Covid days

V Sajeev Kumar Kerala’s cashew sector is gearing to tap the Japanese market in the publish-Covid times in view of soaring demand from customers and recurring orders for kernels.

Japan is 1 of the big consumers and the present lockdown is a hindrance to satisfy the demand from customers totally. However, the sector is self-assured to utilise its opportunity when the limits are lifted, explained K Rajesh, countrywide committee member of the Cashew Market Defense Council.

Japan is an important market for Indian cashew kernels with annually export of around ten,000 tonnes. Of this, the contribution of the Kerala cashew sector is around eight,000 tonnes and the harmony will be fulfilled from Vietnam and China marketplaces. The drum-roasted cashew kernels are the USP of Kerala product or service, which finds quite a few takers in Japan, Rajesh explained.

Final 12 months, shipments to Japan was as small as around 5000 tonnes owing to a subdued demand from customers coupled with a muted function natural environment in the extremely labour-intensive cashew processing factories right here on account of a number of sector-clever difficulties, he additional.

Any hold off in entering the Japanese marketplaces in the publish-Covid times may perhaps give Vietnam and China an possibility to attain supremacy. Each these international locations have a aggressive advantage of lessen output fees mainly because of mechanisation. The value of output for kernels in India is around ₹700 for each kg, when in Vietnam, it is around ₹350/kg.

Moreover Japan, the US, Australia, the European Union are also superior marketplaces and the Covid-19 predicament has led to a diminishing demand from customers in these consuming economies, he additional.

In accordance to R.K.Bhoodes, Chairman, Federation of Indian Cashew Market, the sector is in the process of advertising and marketing usage of cashew nuts as an immunity booster in consuming international locations owing to the presence of zinc.

However, he explained, the usage of cashew nut in the domestic market has been impacted in the wake of the cancellation of marriages and other capabilities. It is anticipated to just take at minimum 1 to two yrs to restore normalcy.