Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is an important industrial and export crop whose potential is yet to be fully exploited in Nigeria. Cashew has for many years been used for food and income generation. The trees are usually grown for their kernels which when roasted have a very pleasant taste. Cashew is the common name for a tropical and subtropical evergreen tree, Anacardium occidentale L., in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae.
It is also the name for the commercially important kidney-shaped, nut like seed of this plant, which is edible when roasted or cooked (New World Encyclopaedia, 2008). The plant is a native of Tropical Central and South America, notably North Eastern Brazil, from where the Portuguese explorers introduced it into Nigeria in the 15th/16th century.
Nigeria, having a total area of 100,000ha cashew plantation and an average annual production of 80,000MT contributes almost 16% of the total production of the agro-ecological zone. Its production is 5% of the global situation. During the last three years, Nigeria has been one of the leading suppliers of raw cashew nuts exported to India. Nearly 18,000 to 23,000MT of raw nuts per annum have been exported earning about N23 billion annually.
Raw nuts which are much in demand in industrialized countries are processed into kernels that constitute a valuable export product for confectionery. They are used as an ingredient for making fruit paste, candied fruit, canned fruit, cashew apple, resins, jams and jellies, chutney, fruit juice, alcohol and vinegar. Cashew kernels rank third after almonds and hazelnuts in the international trade of tree nuts. Wine and pulp are produced from cashew apple. Apple is eaten as a raw fruit or is fermented to produce a delicious alcoholic drink. The pulp is the fibrous part obtained after extracting juice from the apple and could be used as animal feed or dried and processed into diet fiber biscuit. Another product of cashew is the Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). It is greatly valued in the international market as a raw material for brake and clutch linings, paints, and vanishes. It is also used in lacques, agglutinants, insecticides and fungicides.
This article looks at the opportunity of establishing a raw cashew nut processing plant in Nigeria.
To preserve the quality of harvested nuts, it is imperative that proper safeguards are observed against natural and man-made contaminations.
Improper post-harvest handling and storage of nuts, such as high moisture, temperature and insect or mechanical damage can influence the incidence of the fungus that produces toxins like afflatoxin.
By following proper method of drying fungal infection can be avoided. After drying (to about 8 to 10 per cent moisture) the nut must be freed from any adhering plant material. Shriveled and spoiled nuts should be removed which are potential source of fungal infection. Only healthy and matured Nuts should be kept for storage.
Quality of Raw nut in harvesting, handling and storage can be ensured by
1. Proper Harvesting techniques – Only matured nuts from fully grown apple must be harvested.
2. Proper Drying methods – nut should be sun dried immediately after harvesting / collection. Drying should be on hard ground, preferably,concrete / slate drying yards.
Quantity of nuts dried shall not exceed 20kg per sq.mt. Uniform drying can be achieved by constantly turning nuts over to prevent partial /non-uniform heating / drying.
Freshly harvested nuts normally require three days of sun drying.
3. Proper storing methods – Dried nuts should be stored in jute / sisal bags [80kg nut per bag] and not heaped or stored in silos to avoid warm humid Condition in storage room. Storing in woven HDPE bags are not recommended for storage of raw nuts.
While storing it is necessary to provide proper wooden Dunn age to Prevent damage to the cashew nut in bags by avoiding direct contact of bags to the Warehouse floor.
This can be economically achieved by keeping bamboos, criss-crossed and tied and placed on the warehouse floor.
Dried nuts should be stored in well-ventilated, fly-proof place with low Humidity, free of stored product pests and well insulated to prevent water Seepage during rains.
PROCESS FLOW:
1. Steam Cooking
2. Shelling
3. Borma Treatment
4. Humidification
5. Peeling
6. Grading
7. Conditioning
8. Filling & Packing
India is the largest processor of raw cashew seeds and exporter of cashew kernels. The annual production of raw cashew seeds in India is in the region of 500,000 metric tonnes.
It is estimated that 60 percent of cashew kernels are consumed in the form of snacks while the remaining 40 percent are included in confectionery. The cashew competes in the same market as other edible nuts including almonds, hazels, walnuts, pecans, macadamias, pistachios and peanuts. There has recently been a considerable rise in demand for edible nuts by consumers interested in quality and health aspects of food. The breakfast cereal, health food, salads and baked goods markets are all expanding markets for cashew nuts.
Cashew nut processing allows for the development of an important by-product which can increase its added value. The liquid inside the shell (CNSL) represents 15 percent of the gross weight and has some attractive possible medicinal and industrial uses. CNSL is one of the few natural resins that is highly heat resistant and is used in braking systems and in paint manufacture.
It contains a compound known as anacardium, which is used to treat dermatological disorders. The main markets for CNSL are the United States, the European Union (mainly the United Kingdom), Japan and the Republic of Korea. Together these account for over ninety percent of world trade, most of which is supplied by India and Brazil.
By adding value to cashew nut before export, the country create more employment and exporters can earn between US $4.80-8.86 / Kilogram FOB Price.
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Report Tile:CASHEW KERNEL AND CASHEW NUT SHELL LIQUID PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA; THE FEASIBILITY REPORT.
Report Code: FORA/2013/300/756
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