Trend analysis of the raw cashewnut production in India

India first commercialized cashew as a horticulture crop, however the huge gap between domestic production and raw cashewnut requirement pose a major challenge to the sustainability of the processing capacity established in the country. There are huge differences in the way each state has organized, promoted and facilitated cashew cultivation. In this context, the study attempts to analyse the trend and instability of the raw cashewnut production in major cashew growing states and at the national level for the past five decades. The effect of area, yield and their variability on output growth over the years was also analysed using Hazell’s decomposition analysis. The findings of the study reveal that raw cashewnut production increased significantly in the country at a decelerated rate with Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) 4.01% during the period from TE 1971-72 to TE 2020-21 and this growth was attributed to a significant increase in area and yield. Kerala is the only state which shows a negative growth rate in area (-1.02) and production (-0.93) which calls for more concerted efforts towards reviving the cashew cultivation. Maharashtra with the highest production and second largest area under cashew cultivation shows highest instability. The study reiterates the need for a multi-pronged approach to boost the domestic cashew production and revive the Indian cashew sector.