Cashews fetch good prices but poor harvest eats into profits, Arakan growers say 

By Admin 01 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
1 April 2023, Sittwe

Cashew nut growers in Arakan State say their profits are down due to a poor harvest this year, despite the fact that cashews are fetching good prices.

Cashew nuts from Arakan State are in high demand from Yangon, Mandalay and Tanintharyi regions, and fetch between 4,500 kyats and 5,000 kyats per viss.

“The buying price since the harvest is much higher than last year’s price,” said cashew nut dealer U Kyaw Maung from Pyin Taung Village in Ann Township. “This year’s price is significantly higher compared to previous years.”

In previous years, cashew nuts have fetched only around 3,000 kyats per viss, but a lacklustre harvest has eaten into farmers’ favourable market gains.

“The yield was not good though the prices have increased. It can still be profitable for large-scale growers, but small-scale producers will not get much profit,” said cashew nut grower U San Pe from Htanchaung Village in Ann Township.

Cashews are grown on a commercial scale in Ann Township. Yields were between 100 and 200 viss per acre in previous years, but output this year is expected to be around 30 viss per acre, according to cashew nut growers.

Yields this year have been affected by adverse weather conditions and infestations, said growers. “The harvest also failed in our township, perhaps because of adverse weather conditions,” said U Maung Aye Kyi, the administrator of Gone Chun Village in Kyaukphyu Township. 

Cashew nuts — nutrient-dense with benefits for bone and heart health — are also grown in Kyaukphyu, Ramree and Manaung townships.

Cashew trees are perennial crops, with their nuts harvested between March and June.