Original from Brazil, but taken by the Portuguese to regions of Africa and Asia, the cashew nut, the real fruit of the cashew tree, has been leaving its marks around the world and in the Brazilian economy. Produced mainly in the coastal regions of the Northeast, the cultivation of this nut has consolidated in recent years as an activity of great socioeconomic importance in the region.
Among the northeastern states, the ones that stand out as the largest producers and exporters, according to the National Supply Company (CONAB), are Ceará, Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte, which accounted for about 90.5% of national production in 2019 . The state of Ceará, leader in exports, accumulated, between January and April 2019, US$ 35.2 million in foreign sales, according to the Ceará International Business Center (CIN).
Major consumers in North America and Europe
Such sales have as their main destination the United States which, during that same period of time, consumed 41.3% of the total exported in Brazil nuts by Ceará, totaling US$ 14.5 million. Other important buyers are Canada, with US$ 3.5 million, and Italy, with US$ 3.2 million. In addition to them, Germany and Portugal are also important buyers, as their demands, in 2018 and 2019, the period analyzed by CIN, grew 256.2% and 300%, respectively.
High potential in the export of by-products as well
Even more recent data released in the monthly report for August 2020 by CONAB, show that national production has been increasing at an average annual rate of 7.8% between 2015 and 2019 and that estimates are that production for the year 2020 of the three main states total 136.2 thousand tons. In addition, shelled cashew nut exports stood at 1,500 t, up 4.1% from the previous month, while shelled cashew nut exports resulted in US $292.6 thousand and 444.0 t between January and August 2020, an expressive increase compared to the same period of 2019.
Furthermore, as if the very high potential of cashew nuts were not enough, its by-product, cashew nut liquid (LCC), widely used in the manufacture of varnish, insecticides and antioxidants for naphthenic oils, is also at a favorable moment in the market. Between January and April 2019 alone, Ceará collected US$ 647.9 thousand in sales abroad, mainly to Spain and Portugal, which represented an increase of 26.8% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Favorable time in the market
In this sense, it can be said that the Brazilian cashew nut is at an extremely favorable moment in the international market. Both the product and its derivatives show significant increase data and, even in a pandemic context, wholesale prices show a rise, revealing a firm domestic market that, using services such as Prisma, can be well explored.
Importance of an international consultancy
On the international front, Brazil, since 2018, according to CONAB, occupies the position of 6th largest exporter of the shelled product, only behind industry leaders such as India and Vietnam, which indicates good prospects and opportunities for the future. It is in this context, then, that the essentiality of Prisma emerges, a company that provides analysis and intelligent research tools to help its clients find the ideal and favorable market for their investments.
By Annaluisa Lima on 12/04/2020
Sources