Myanmar exports value-added cashew nuts from Ayeyawady Region

Value-added cashew nuts from Ayeyawady Region are conveyed to domestic and international markets, according to Ayeyawady Region’s Consumer Affairs Department.
Traders from Pathein, Thaboung, Myaungmya, and Yekyi purchase raw cashew nuts from the Ayeyawady Region. They are sent to Yangon. The value-added cashew nuts are produced in Pathein and Yekyi cities and are exported to China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Malaysia beyond domestic markets.
Cashew nuts are utilized in ice cream, traditional Myanmar snacks (Htoe mont), cakes, jam, and biryani. Cashew nut oil is rich in Vitamin E, so it is also used as an ingredient in cosmetic, hair, and skin treatments. Cashew nut shells are used as industrial raw material.
At present, raw cashew nut fetches K4,800-K5,000 per viss, which rose from K4,200 per viss recorded last year. The figures indicated an increase of K600-K800 per viss.
The cashew nut season starts in the last week of February. They are plentiful in March.
The cashew nut market is bustling before the monsoon season. The season ends in May and June when there is heavy rainfall.
There are 65,933 acres of perennial cashew plants in the Ayeyawady Region, mainly in the Pathein, Hinthada and Myaungmya districts. The cashew trees can be cultivated in different soil types. The farming thrives in Rakhine, Taninthayi and western coastal areas, delta regions and sea areas.
The cashew seeds from Pathein and Thaboung townships are just big. The ones from Yekyi Township are medium in size. Those from Myaungmya Township are tiny seeds. It takes five years from cultivation to harvest. As they are perennial, it is a long-term profitable business. Rain can affect the physical quality of the cashew nut, and the nuts may become unmarketable.
On 27 February 2024, the Consumers Affairs Department (Ayeyawady Region) held a workshop to enhance the cashew industry, with the presence of officials concerned from the relevant departments, associations, cashew planters and producers from the region.
The workshop highlighted the market condition, technology, capital, market flow and needs raised by the suppliers. There is vacant, fallow and virgin land in the related areas in the region. They thrive in tropical climates. The attendees discussed matters related to value-added production and private sector development, the formation of the regional cashew association in line with articles of association, connecting with the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI) beyond the Ayeyawady Region Chambers of Commerce and Industry, making efforts to penetrate export markets as the One Village One Product movement and future activities. — NN/EM