Import licensing delay affects cashew industry
Sri Lanka’s cashew industry is facing a major crisis owing to the delay in obtaining import licences. Due to this, there has been a shortage of cashew nuts.
The import licences have already expired on December 31, 2025 and it has to be renewed soon to avoid any further issues before the festive season commences in April 2026.
The country’s cashew season is from May to July several industrialists told the Sunday Times Business adding that the crop was very low last year.
When the producers import cashew from Africa, importers have to face several issues including transit period of 15-30 days due to lack of direct vessels from African continent to Sri Lanka.
The other issue was the official consideration of the bill of lading date when the containers are loaded on ships rather than allowing for the import permit expiry date, they pointed out.
In addition to this, it has been found that the major reason behind the current cashew nut shortage is that small-scale entrepreneurs who obtained the import licence during the past few months have not imported enough cashew nuts.
Sri Lanka’s domestic production of raw cashew nuts is estimated to be around 25,000 to 30,000 metric tonnes annually. However, the local consumption level is nearly double that quantity, and the island nation has to depend on imported raw cashew nuts to meet its requirements.
Since domestic production is insufficient, Sri Lanka has been importing cashews from countries such as Tanzania, Ghana, and India. These are shelled locally, and thousands of people across various regions of the island depend on this process for their livelihood.
Although there is strong demand for cashews among both local consumers and foreign tourists, the inability to meet this demand has led to numerous problems in the sector.
A majority of tourists visiting Sri Lanka considers cashews as one of their favourite snacks. In addition, cashew has become a popular ingredient in many locally produced food items, as well as in the business sector and other industries in the country.
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