Dong Nai farmers boost income from cashew fruit

According to Hoang Anh Cooperative in Binh Phuoc ward, during this year’s cashew harvest season, the cooperative expects to purchase around 500 tonnes of fresh cashew fruit as raw materials for food processing. It is currently supplying a range of products to the market, including vegetarian fish sauce made from cashew fruit, fermented cashew products, cashew apple juice, and cashew wine.

Farmers in Binh Phuoc ward harvest fresh cashew fruit for sale to local processing facilities. Photo: B. Nguyen

During this year’s harvest, in several Northern localities of Dong Nai province, cashew farmers are not only collecting and selling cashew nuts but also gathering cashew fruit for sale to processing establishments and enterprises both within and outside the province.

Farmers wash cashew fruit before delivering it to processing facilities. Photo: B. Nguyen

Farm-gate prices for fresh cashew fruit range from VND 2,500 to VND 4,000 per kilogram. According to cashew growers, the supply of fresh cashew fruit is abundant, and it is an agricultural by-product often discarded during harvesting. In recent years, some businesses and food processing facilities have begun purchasing fresh cashew fruit, though volumes remain limited.

This year, demand to buy fresh cashew fruit has increased compared with previous years, as demand for food processing using cashew fruit as a raw material has risen. With the current purchasing activity, fresh cashew fruit has provided cashew growers with an additional source of income.

By B. Nguyen – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho