Saudi Arabia depends a lot on cashew imports to respond to domestic demand. Its mostly desert climate with hot and dry summers and mild winters hinders cashew production. The average rainfall is about 200mm per year and the temperatures can be as low as 10°C and as high as 35°C.
A bulk of cashews sold in Saudi Arabia are found in supermarkets. The biggest number of consumers in the country is found in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Mecca. Smaller retail outlets, wholesale markets and specialty food stores around Saudi Arabia trade in smaller quantities of cashews.
Cashew Nut Price in Saudi Arabia
Imports of cashews in Saudi Arabia were worth about 80 million US Dollars in 2021. Compared to the previous year, it is an increase of 11%. The sharpest climb was from 2015 to 2016 when the import value rose from about 45 million US Dollars to around 54 million US Dollars.
Here are the total values in import of cashews in Saudi Arabia between 2012 and 2021.
Cashew Nut Price per kg in Saudi Arabia
The cost of a kilo of cashews in Saudi Arabia can be between 30 Saudi Riyals (U7 dollars) and 40 Saudi Riyals (US10 dollars). This is based on the average import price per kg. This wholesale price has gone as low as 20 Saudi Royals (US5 dollars) in the recent past.
Retail prices of shelled cashews vary from trader to trader. Saudis can buy imported cashews for most part of the year because they are sourced from several nations. Market timing also determines the price range as late season cashews get a premium over early season cashews.
Whole cashew kernels are more valuable than broken pieces. While those that are white or pale ivory in color are preferred to than coloured or burnt ones.
Cashew in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia brings in more shelled cashews than in-shell cashews. A considerable quantity of these cashews are processed either in Vietnam or India. These two countries are known for their very large cashew processing industries. Not only do they process their own cashew nuts but also those grown in several countries in Africa.
Cashew imports have to first go through the Tax and Customs Authority of Saudi Arabia (Zakat). They are then tested using certain food safety protocols set by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The government of Saudi Arabia sets the requirements for importers of food products like cashews through the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
Cans or polythene bags of cashews must be labeled according to guidelines determined by SFDA. Bilingual language, which includes Arabic, is required on the label. Stick-on labels with country of origin are widely used on imported cashews.
Labels must include the following information:
- Name of product and its product category
- Name and address of producer and importer
- Brand or trademark
- Country of origin
- Type of cashew and grade
- Storage instructions and temperature requirements
- Net weight in grams or kilograms and number of cashews per can or polythene bag
- Nutritional information
- Shelf life
- Date of packing
Cashew Nuts Saudi Arabia
Many Saudis like eating cashew kernels. Getting to the edible part of a cashew nut is quite a process. Besides a hard outer shell and another thin skin, a kernel is covered by cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). CNSL is a dark brown liquid that causes skin irritation.
The five steps involved in extracting a cashew kernel are:
- Shelling: removal of the outer shell and CNSL
- Peeling: removal of the testa
- Grading: into different sizes and colours according to standard grading
- Drying or humidifying: to a final moisture content of 5%
- Packing: into airtight bags depending on the scale of the operation