Cashew nut supplier

Strange post.

Theres a strange obsession with cashew nuts in Vietnam. My ex was like that, said she wanted to export cashew nuts and my current girlfriend working in logistics keeps taking about selling cashew nuts. My cousins showed me around and kept point out cashew nuts trees.

I think at some point it became a lucrative cash crop there and a talking point.

This topic peaked my curiosity so I did a little "research."  First I found the interesting fact that cashews are not biologically nuts but seeds.  I had previously been under the impression that eating cashews was actually morally reprehensible due to the rather severe negative health effects on those who worked in processing.  The unprocessed outer flesh of the cashew is very toxic even to touch.  I also found an article that accused the Vietnamese government of forcing political prisoners to process cashews but that site had an obvious anti-communist bent. 

What I found, that was most encouraging, was that Vietnamese entrepreneurs had invented labor saving machinery for processing cashews thereby taking the lead from India, the traditional producer.  This might seem unusual in a country where cheap labor is often the basis to attract industry but besides the labor saving aspects, the mechanization substantially reduced the human contact with the toxic parts of the plant.   Amazingly, the Vietnamese processors have been so successful that to source raw nuts for processing in Vietnam, they are beginning to encourage planters in Africa.  It seems that Vietnamese nuts do not have the same ethical negatives that cashews from India do.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-cashew … 1512142823

Perhaps you can slip past the paywall.   I did the first time but can't seem to get in again.  Maybe you have to read it all at once.      The article also identifies the leading family-owned company by name.  Perhaps the OP may have a source of nuts and is trying to avoid what may be dealing with a de-facto monopoly for processing and marketing.

Perhaps phikachu's observation of his relatives' interest in cashew plantings is because they are quite new as a significant commercial crop in Vietnam and hence an item of interest even for locals.

THIGV wrote:

This topic peaked my curiosity so I did a little "research."  First I found the interesting fact that cashews are not biologically nuts but seeds.  I had previously been under the impression that eating cashews was actually morally reprehensible due to the rather severe negative health effects on those who worked in processing.  The unprocessed outer flesh of the cashew is very toxic even to touch.  I also found an article that accused the Vietnamese government of forcing political prisoners to process cashews but that site had an obvious anti-communist bent. 

What I found, that was most encouraging, was that Vietnamese entrepreneurs had invented labor saving machinery for processing cashews thereby taking the lead from India, the traditional producer.  This might seem unusual in a country where cheap labor is often the basis to attract industry but besides the labor saving aspects, the mechanization substantially reduced the human contact with the toxic parts of the plant.   Amazingly, the Vietnamese processors have been so successful that to source raw nuts for processing in Vietnam, they are beginning to encourage planters in Africa.  It seems that Vietnamese nuts do not have the same ethical negatives that cashews from India do.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-cashew … 1512142823

Perhaps you can slip past the paywall.   I did the first time but can't seem to get in again.  Maybe you have to read it all at once.      The article also identifies the leading family-owned company by name.  Perhaps the OP may have a source of nuts and is trying to avoid what may be dealing with a de-facto monopoly for processing and marketing.

Perhaps phikachu's observation of his relatives' interest in cashew plantings is because they are quite new as a significant commercial crop in Vietnam and hence an item of interest even for locals.

Just disovered the term blood cashews, brutal.

I got a bit tired of her talking about cashew nuts, how you going to export it in large quantities to get rich when the government controls export quotas. Who's going to buy it?

Then i gave her a million dollar idea that hadn't been done before (this was 5+ years ago). I said, you got to come up with a product to sell in the west, using cashew nuts to make money. I love peanut butter, i love cashews nuts why have I never seen or tried cashew nut butter on toast!

phikachu wrote:

Then i gave her a million dollar idea that hadn't been done before (this was 5+ years ago). I said, you got to come up with a product to sell in the west, using cashew nuts to make money. I love peanut butter, i love cashews nuts why have I never seen or tried cashew nut butter on toast!

Maybe not then, but it has now

https://shop.meridianfoods.co.uk/collec … gIfE_D_BwE

There are many UK importers of cashews, the last I heard using mostly Indian and Chinese 320s and 450s, the 320s going to places like Tesco and Marks, the 450s (usually better flavour) going into the manufacturers' own brands.
It's been a long time since I disappeared from that industry so I'm way out of date, but the basic rules remain the same.  Infestation must be minimal, AV and PV as low as possible, minimal damage and mostly whole nuts with very few halves, and no blemishes (They show up like you wouldn't believe after frying). Aflatoxin is a minor issue when compared to peanuts, but the rules are very clear on that subject so testing must be carried out.

My brain is hurting as old memory bones have been strained so I will take a rest

Anyway, the point is exporting isn't a simple thing anyone can do.

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  ..the rules are very clear on that subject so testing must be carried out...

"My brain is hurting as old memory bones have been strained so I will take a rest"

   Agreed.   Old age is a bit of a bummer; as is being tested...     

   Simple..?    ..got that covered too...       
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My wife's sister has a cashew processing factory where they hull and roast them.  I even thought about exporting them.  The price is so low here compared to the US.  Actually everything they grow is really hurting - coffee, black pepper and cashews.

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   " The price is so low here compared to..."  (everywhere else)

    ..but we are fortunate in (not) knowing that expats are not experts...

      ..a few do, however.   We won't mention wiser ones....     
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I could have also been more clear.  The wholesale price for coffee, pepper and cashews have all taking a beating the last three years.  Coffee and pepper both were in the $5-6/kg range.  Now $3/kg or less.  They virtually make no money now on the farm.  Input and harvest costs are close to $3/kg.  Cashew has rebounded a bit this year.  Last year and year before were terrible.  They buy the cashews raw on the wholesale market and then process them.  As they had contracts to fill they did so but lost money two years ago, leased out the factory last year and back to operating it this year and seems to be better this year.