Farmers happy as cashew nuts get higher prices this year

The cashew nut from Ayeyawady is one of the export products, and it has been entering the market as a seasonal crop since the end of February. The cashew nuts are abundantly yielded in March, it is learnt.
The cashews are highly traded before the monsoon. In May and June, there is heavy rain, and the rain permeates into the fruits and the fruits turn black. As a consequence, there was no trading in the market and the cashew nuts season ended, according to the market.
There are about 65,000 acres of cashew nuts in the Ayeyawady Region. The cashew nuts are grown mostly in Pathein, Myaungmya, Hinthada and Latbutta districts.  And, the cashew nuts are highly yielded in Chaungtha, Ngwehsaung regions besides the coastal villages in Pathein, Thaboung and Ngaputaw townships in the Pathein district.
There are five or six depots that are buying the cashew nuts from the growers in Pathein town. The raw cashew nuts were mainly conveyed to the Yangon market. Then, the raw products are manufactured as finished products in Yangon and exported to the international market.
Raw products are stored yearly and finished products are exported to China through Muse monthly. Last year, the cashew nut was sold for K 1,800-K 2,000 per viss. But this year, the nut fetched K 3,000-K 3,200 per viss. The farmers are delighted because they are getting better prices than the previous year.
The price of cashew nuts has reached its highest again during March. The price rise can be attributed to the market demand in the township, according to the cashew nut traders. — District IPRD/GNLM