India's Cashew Consumption to Double by 2045

According to the 'Kaju Centennial Summit 2025' held in Mangaluru, India's cashew consumption is expected to more than double by 2045. To meet the growing domestic demand, India will need to process at least 4 million tons (mt) of cashews, up from the current 2 mt.

The global cashew crop is forecast to reach 15 mt by 2045, up from the present 6 mt. Africa, India, Vietnam, and other origins are expected to have sufficient cashew supply to meet the rising demand. Concepts like sustainability, traceability, and deforestation will become increasingly relevant in the coming years.

The cashew industry is set to thrive, with new ways of utilizing and marketing cashews emerging. Mechanized factories with larger capacities are likely to dominate the industry, as the efficiency of machines continues to improve. While AI can help enhance efficiency, it is unlikely to replace cashew processing entirely.

Cashew processing in origins like East and West Africa and Cambodia will see faster crop expansion due to lower land costs. However, single-origin processing carries higher risks in terms of interest and material deterioration. The advantage for India and Vietnam is their ability to source from multiple origins, which helps mitigate these risks.