Kien Giang (VNA) - There is a growing demand for nuts, includingcashew, and dried fruits globally, offering a good opportunity for theindustry, the ninth Vinacas Golden Cashew Rendezvous held in Phu Quoc islandheard on November 14.

Michael Waring, vice chairman  of the International Nut and Dried FruitCouncil Foundation (INC), said: “The global nut industry has increased inboth production and consumption tremendously in the past 10 years.

“The cashew industry has a very significantrole in the international nut trade. Demand is expected to continue increasing because consumers areincreasingly aware of the nut’s health benefits," he said.

Nguyen Duy Tuan, market research expertat Lafooco, said: “Supply growth may not be able to catch up with demandgrowth. Demand from high-income countries is rising.”

Waring said to capitalise on the opportunity, the sector needs to prepare thesupply chain.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association, said: “Vietnam haspledged to supply cashew products meeting safety standards.”

It would not supply GMO cashew or products with mould, micro-organisms orpesticides and chemical fertilisers in the Vietnamese and the global warninglists, he said. It would not use forced labour, he said.

Talking about development plans for the period up to 2020, he said the sectorplans to increase the area under cashew from 400,000ha to 500,000. It includes65,000ha in Cambodia.

The industry would also apply intensive farming methods to raise productivityto reduce the reliance on import of raw cashew, he said.

Thanh and many other delegates agreed that the reliance on imports is thebiggest challenge facing the sector.

Vietnam imported 1.2 million tonnes of raw cashew nuts in the first 10 month ofthe year, higher than the figure for the whole of last year of 1.14 milliontonnes. The number is expected to rise to 1.3 million tonnes for the full year,with imports from African countries accounting for 90.7 percent, Bach Khanh Nhat,director of quality checking company, Vinacontrol, said.

He said the quality of imports from Africa is better now than last year, buturged suppliers to focus further on improving quality.

Wayne Tilton, vice president, African Cashew Alliance’s board of directors,said: “Africa accounts for 56 percent of the global raw cashew nut production,but processes less than 5 percent of the global crop.”

It wants to co-operate with Vinacas to develop its cashew sector, includinglearning innovative methods of processing by-products from Vietnam, he said.
Vinacas yesterday signed memorandums of understanding with the Guinea BissauChamber of Commerce, African Cashew Alliance and the National CashewAssociation of Nigeria to mutually develop their cashew industries.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh hailedthe achievements of the country’s cashew industry, saying the sectorcontributes greatly to economic development and provides more than 900,000jobs.

Vietnam accounts for half of the world’s cashew exports, and has been theleading exporter for 12 years. Its cashew products are exported to 90 countriesand territories, with the US, Europe, and China being the main markets.

According to statistics from the VietnamIndustry and Trade Information Centre, 294,000 tonnes of cashew worth 2.98billion USD were exported in the first 10 months of this year, an increase of0.4 percent in volume and 25.6 percent in value year-on-year.

Thanh said full-year exports would rise to 3.5 billion USD, the highest valueever.
Organised by Vinacas and the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, the two-dayconference has attracted more than 500 local and foreign delegates from 40countries and territories.

It seeks to promote trade and expand markets for cashew products, help cashewgrowers and processing firms increase their revenues, and develop the industrysustainably.-VNA