The price fluctuation of raw cashew nuts is the major impediment in improving the income level of cashew farmers and hence their interest in cashew cultivation. This has also hampered the prospects of expansion of cashew cultivation in different parts of the country. In fact, all these years, farmers could not realize the potential benefits of cashew cultivation due to low price levels. Though both domestic and export demands are on the raise in recent years, unfortunately, cashew farmer is still not able to perceive considerable enhancement in his income levels. This is definitely the result of higher profit margins claimed by middlemen and cashew processing sector coupled with policies related to import of raw cashew nuts.
In spite of hardships faced by cashew growers, there seems to be no effort to improve the price or to curb price fluctuations of raw cashew nuts by traders/processing industries/governments. Given this scenario, in order to uphold the welfare of cashew growers, there is a need of an organisation that lobbies at the government level for various issues. Further, cashew farmers need to come under single umbrella to fulfil needs of awareness and communication regarding cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing both inside the country and in abroad.