Japan is the fourth major export-destination for the Indian cashew

Japanese cashew import reached 7,600 tonnes back in 2012. This is a significant figure for India, as Japan is the fourth major export-destination for the Indian cashew. The US, the UAE and the Netherlands are the top three destinations for the export of cashews from India. Of the 7,602 tonnes of cashew kernels imported by Japan in 2012, India’s share was 6,099 tonnes.

Walter D’Souza, Chairman of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (Southern Region), told Business Line that quality Indian cashews are preferred in Japan. Many of the Indian exporters command a good premium in prices for the supply of quality consistent with high standards Japan expects from the importers, he said.

Consumers have become more selective for healthy and tasty food. The fear of radioactive pollution by the 2011 Japanese Tsunami has made the consumers more safety conscious. They are now looking at chemical free and radiation free food, he said.

Prakash Rao said that new comers such as Kenya are also making their entry into Japanese market. Japan imported 95 tonnes of cashew kernels from Kenya in 2012.
However, Kenya exported 86 tonnes in the first seven months of 2013 itself. (The total import of cashew kernel into Japan during the first seven months of 2013 stood at 4,966.3 tonnes. Of this, the share of India stood at 4,219.4 tonnes.)

D’Souza said that India can certainly cross the 10,000-tonne mark by 2015, if more Indian exporters are able to raise the bar in terms of Japanese specifications, quality, and performance parameters. Clarifying that Indian exporters are adhering to the internationally accepted specifications, he said Japan has created its own niche markets of quality and grading standards. These are much above the general specifications followed by other importing countries, he added.