Cashew prices have come under pressure in the last couple of months after peaking in
November and on the back of the Tanzanian issue where the government refused to sell
stock at market levels. This held back supply from the market which prompted prices to
rise in anticipation that supply would be short. Now that the harvest has begun in Africa
and Asia, this concern has been alleviated and the price has softened since November
as the market is expecting a carryover from last season and early reports are suggesting
we’re in for a good crop.
Given cashews remain one of the most expensive snacking nut, we’ll need to see a
disruption in supply or changes to retail prices in the US & Europe to drive prices higher.
Of those 2 key catalysts, it’s more likely we’ll see retail prices change as they remain at
record highs while the market has fallen heavily from those levels.