What is cashew season?

What is cashew season?

Growing in the tropics, cashew trees flower and fruit in the winter or dry season, producing a nut that’s much more than a nut and has to be handled with care.

Is there a cashew season?

Seasons. Flowering takes place from December to April in the Northern hemisphere, and from June to December in the Southern hemisphere, with a higher concentration from September to November. The cashew has crossed fertilization. About a week after fertilization, the green nut with a puny apple (false fruit) appears.

Is cashew a seasonal fruit?

Harvest season of cashew may start at the month of February up to June reaching its harvest peak at the month of May. Cashew trees bear flowers as early as November up to February or March. The fruits (apples) are ready to be harvested when they become yellow or red and the nuts turn ash gray in color.

Where does cashew fruit grow?

Cashew fruit is native to tropical regions of northeast Brazil and has been growing wild since ancient times. In the 16th century, Portuguese traders brought the trees to India and Mozambique and began to export the seeds, expanding the cultivated trees further into Africa and Asia.

How long does it take a cashew tree to produce fruit?

The traditional cashew tree is tall (up to 14 m) and takes three years from planting before it starts production, and eight years before economic harvests can begin. More recent breeds, such as the dwarf cashew trees, are up to 6 m tall, and start producing after the first year, with economic yields after three years.

Is cashew fruit poisonous?

Cashews contain a natural toxin called urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state. If you were to handle or consume cashews in their raw form, you would likely experience a reaction similar to that caused by poison ivy, such as an itchy and inflamed skin rash that may cause a burning sensation.

How are cashews harvested in India?

In India, the cashew-growing season is from March to May. Once they are harvested, the cashews are sent for processing, which takes place in factories and at workers’ homes. Shelling the nuts is labour intensive and is usually done by hand.

How are cashews farmed?

Cashews trees have to be farmed, harvested, separated from the false fruit, roasted, cooled, cracked open, peeled, sundried and sorted – and only then can you sell them as raw nuts. The amount of value added is incommensurate to the amount of labour that goes into it’.

What happens cashew fruit?

When ripe, the whole thing falls off the tree, and the bottom part is gathered for processing. The false fruit (called cashew fruit or cashew apple) is edible, but it is very perishable. It is often left to rot, but can be eaten raw, cooked, or used to make a liquor called feni.

What climate do cashews grow in?

tropical climates
Cashew is best adapted to seasonally dry tropical climates, with optimum growth occurring at temperatures from 63°F to 100°F and a relative humidity of 65–80%. Trees are drought tolerant, but production is improved if sufficient soil moisture is provided (either rainfall or irrigation) during fruit set and development.

How many years does cashew grow?

Cashew plants start bearing after three years of planting and reach full bearing during tenth year and continue giving remunerative yields for another 20 years. The cashew nuts are harvested during February – May. Normally, harvesting consists of picking of nuts that have dropped to the ground after maturing.

Where does the cashew tree grow in the world?

The cashew tree grows in tropical areas with an annual rainfall ranging from 400 to 4,000 mm, and it grows from sea level to an altitude of 1,000 m. The Cashew is cultivate primarily in India, Vietnam, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Tanzania, Benin, Brazil and other countries in East and West Central Africa and South East Asia.

How long does it take for a cashew tree to flower?

In Cashew Farming, flowering is affected by weather conditions and also varies from tree to tree, but continues for a period of 3 months. High temperatures lead to earlier flowering. Both male and bisexual flowers are borne on one cluster.

What should the temperature be for growing cashews?

Areas where the temperatures range from 20 to 30°C with annual precipitation of 1000 – 2000 mm are ideal for cashew growing. However, temperatures above 36°C between the flowering and fruiting period could adversely affect the fruit setting and retention.

When do you pick the nuts from a cashew tree?

In Cashew Farming, cashew plants start bearing after three years of planting and reach full bearing during the tenth year and continue giving remunerative yields for another 20 years. The cashew nuts are harvested during February – May. Normally, harvesting consists of picking of nuts that have dropped to the ground after maturing.