CASHEW NUT AGRONOMY PRACTICE

Introduction

The cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale) is a tropical evergreen tree that produces the cashew seed and the cashew apple. Cashew nuts are actually seeds, found growing on the end of the cashew apple. Also known by the botanical name Anacardium occidentale, the cashew is a close relative of mangos, pistachios, poison ivy and poison oak. Originally native to northeastern Brazil, it was first introduced on a worldwide scale by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, but international trade didn’t take off until the 1920s. The tree is now widely cultivated in Vietnam, Nigeria and India as major production countries. It was introduced in India during the later half of the Sixteenth Century for the purpose of afforestation and soil conservation. From its humble beginning as a crop intended to check soil erosion, cashew has emerged as a major foreign exchange earner next only to tea and coffee. Cashew nut is one of the important nuts grown in the world and ranked first. Among various nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, etc., cashew nut enjoys an unenviable position and it is an unavoidable snack in all important social functions especially in the western countries. Sometimes called “nature’s vitamin pill,” cashew nuts, which now rank #1 among nut crops in the world with 4.1 billion pounds produced in 2002, have been used to promote wellness for centuries.

It can grow as high as 14 metres (46 ft), but the dwarf cashew, growing up to 6 metres (20 ft), has proved more profitable, with earlier maturity and higher yields. The cashew seed, often simply called a cashew, is widely consumed. It is eaten on its own, used in recipes, or processed into cashew cheese or cashew butter. The cashew apple is light reddish to yellow fruit, whose pulp can be processed into a sweet, astringent fruit drink or distilled into liquor.

The shell of the cashew seed yields derivatives that can be used in many applications from lubricants to paints, and other parts of the tree have traditionally been used for snake-bites and other folk remedies. Cashew nuts, a richly sweet product of the cashew tree, have gained popularity in not only for their succulent flavour but for health benefits, too. Whether roasted, salted, sugared or covered in chocolate, the cashew nut, often used as a flavourful complement to appetizers, main dishes and deserts, packs a mix of nutrients and minerals not found in many common foods.

Technical Requirements of Cashew Cultivation

1. 1. Soil

The general notion is that “cashew is very modest in its soil requirements and can adapt itself to varying soil conditions without impairing productivity”. While Cashew can be grown in poor soils, its performance would be much better on good soils. The best soils for cashew are deep and well-drained sandy loams without a hard pan. Cashew also thrives on pure sandy soils, although mineral deficiencies are more likely to occur. Water stagnation and flooding are not congenial for cashew. Heavy clay soils with poor drainage and soils with pH more than 8.0 are not suitable for cashew cultivation. Excessive alkaline and saline soils also do not support its growth. Red sandy loam, lateritic soils and coastal sands with slightly acidic pH are best for cashew.

1. 1. Climate

Cashew is a tropical plant and can thrive even at high temperatures. Young plants are sensitive to frost. The distribution of cashew is restricted to altitudes upto 700 m above mean sea level where the temperature does not fall below 20°C for prolonged period. Areas where the temperatures range from 20 to 30°C with an 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. Heavy rainfall, evenly distributed throughout the year is not favourable though the trees may grow and sometimes set fruit. Cashew needs a climate with a well-defined dry season of at least four months to produce the best yields. Coincidence of excessive rainfall and high relative humidity with flowering may result in flower/fruit drop and heavy incidence of fungal diseases.

1. 1. Planting material

Cashew is a cross pollinated crop and exhibits wide variation in respect of nut, apple and yield of seedling progenies. Therefore, vegetative propagation has been advocated to mitigate this problem. Air layering has been quite successful but survival percentage is low and it has been reported that the plantations raised from air layers are more susceptible to drought and the life of such plantation is shorter as compared to that of grafted or seedling ones. The anchorage has also been observed to be poor, especially in cyclone prone areas. Epicotyl grafting and softwood grafting are found to be successful because it is easy to produce large number of grafts in a short time.

The percentage of field establishment is also reported to be high with these grafts. Adequate thrust has been given to produce enough planting material through these standardised techniques by the ICAR (through the Directorate of Cashew Research, its sub-stations, Agricultural Universities and State Departments of Horticulture/Agriculture), to meet the growing demand. Production of cashew planting material is one of the economic activities in most of the states. The planting material is raised in these nurseries within a year. The farmers can purchase planting material from these nurseries but care should be taken that the planting material is purchased from authentic and certified nurseries. The supplier should have the details like age of the plant, variety of the cashew, rootstock used etc. and the same should be mentioned in the bill/ cash receipt.

1. 1. Preparation of Land

The land should be ploughed thoroughly and levelled in case of agricultural lands. In case of forestlands, the jungle should be cleared well in advance and the debris burnt. After clearing the jungles, land is to be terraced or bunds constructed on sloppy land. In order to ensure better moisture conservation, soil trenches are dug across the contours. The cost of land preparation will vary depending upon the type and method of soil working. Nowadays, use of JCB for soil working is most popular; hence a provision for use of soil working is made in the model. The land preparation work should be completed prior to the onset of monsoon season i.e. during May – June

1. 1. Layout

Cashew trees are generally planted with a spacing of 7 to 9 meters adopting square system. A spacing of 7.5 m X 7.5 m (175 plants/ ha) or 8 m X 8 m (156 plants/ ha) is recommended. High density planting of cashew at a closer spacing of 4 m X 4 m (625 plants/ ha) in the beginning and thinning out in stages to maintain a final spacing of 8 m X 8 m in the tenth year is also recommended. This enables higher returns during initial years. In case of sloppy lands, the triangular system of planting is recommended to accommodate 15 per cent more plants without affecting the growth and development of the trees. In undulating areas, the planting should preferably be done along the contours, with cradle pits or trenches provided at requisite spacing in a staggered manner to arrest soil erosion and help moisture conservation.

1. 1. Digging and filling of pits

The work of digging of pits has to be completed much in advance (May – June). Cashew can be planted in pits of 60cm x 60cm x 60cm size in soils with normal strata. In hard lateritic soils, pits of 1m x 1m x 1m size are recommended. The top soil and sub-soil are kept separately and allowed to wither under sun. It helps in migration of termites and ants. Burning of the debris and forest wastes inside the pits before planting is advantageous. The pits are then filled with topsoil mixed with farmyard manure or compost (5 kg) or poultry manure (2 kg) and rock phosphate (200 g). In order to mitigate soil borne diseases, BHC @ 100g/ pit is also added to the soil mixture.

1. 1. Planting

The grafted plants obtained from the superior mother plant are usually planted at the onset of monsoon. It is essential to provide stakes and temporary shade with the locally available materials wherever necessary (especially in the South West aspects in case of forest plantation) to reduce the mortality rate and achieve quicker establishment. If the monsoon rains are inadequate, one or two pot irrigation can be done during the initial stages to ensure establishment.

1. 1. Mulching

The cashew is generally planted on the wastelands and hence availability of soil moisture is always low, hence, mulching is essential. Mulching with black polythene is beneficial to increase the growth and yield of cashew. However, locally available materials like green or dry grass or weeds can be utilized for mulching the basins. Small pebbles or stones can also be used for mulching of the basin. The plastic or stone mulch does not improve soil health but ensures better moisture retention in the soil and also prevents attack of soil borne insects and pests

1. 1. Manuring and fertilization

In our country, application of manures and fertilizers is very limited in the case of Cashew. In order to get better yield, it is essential to maintain adequate N:P:K ratio in the soil. Application of 10-15 kg of farmyard manure per plant is recommended to ensure adequate organic matter in the soil. The fertilizers recommended for a mature cashew tree are 500 g N (1.1 kg urea), 125 g P2O5 (750 g Single Super Phosphate and 125 g K2O (200 g muriate of potash). The nutritional requirements and the quantity of fertilizer per plant are given in Table 2

Nutritional requirements and recommended fertilizer doses for cashew

The ideal time for application of fertilizer is immediately after the cessation of heavy rains. Fertilisers should be applied in a circular trench along the drip line. Before application of fertilizer it should be ensured that there is adequate soil moisture. The fertilizers should be applied in two split doses during pre-monsoon (May – June) and post monsoon (September – October) season. However, in the case of single application, it should be done during post monsoon season (September – October) when adequate soil moisture is available. In sandy and laterite soils, soils of sloppy land and in heavy rainfall zones, the fertilizer application should be done in a circular trench of 25 cm width and 15 cm depth at 1.5m from the tree trunk. In red loamy soils and in low rainfall areas (east coast), the fertilizers should be applied in circular bands at a distance of 0.5m, 0.7m, 1.0m and 1.5m away from the trunk during first, second, third and fourth year onwards of planting, respectively.

1. 1. Weeding

Weeding with a light digging should preferably be done before the end of rainy reason. Hoeing, cutting the weeds off underground is more effective than slashing. Chemical weeding has not been of any importance until now, however it may be considered as an alternative, where wages are high or where there is shortage of labour. Initially, Agrodar-96 (2, 4 –D) @4ml/litre of water and subsequently Gramaxone @5ml/litre of water is sprayed. Approximately, 400 litre/ha (160 litre/acre) of solution is required per spray. The spray is again repeated in the post monsoon season.

1. 1. Inter-cropping

Tall growing intercrops like certain varieties of sorghum and millet should not be encouraged between young cashew, as they provide too much shade. Leguminous crops such as groundnut and beans are very suitable for inter cropping. Besides the annual crops, arid zone fruit crops having less canopy especially annona, phalsa, etc., can be thought of, depending on the suitability. Cultivation of horse gram, cowpea, groundnut etc is recommended as inter-crops in cashew. Inter cropping cashew, Casuarina and coconut are popular.

1. 1. Cover cropping

Leguminous cover enriches soil with the plant nutrients and adds organic matter, prevent soil erosion and conserves moisture. The seeds of these cover crops may be sown in the beginning of rainy season. The seed beds of 30cm X 30cm size are prepared in the interspace in slopes by loosening soil and mixing a little quantity of compost. The seeds of these crops are sown in the beds and covered with a thin layer of soil. The seeds should be soaked in the water for six hours before sowing

1. 1. Training and Pruning

During first year of planting, the sprouts coming from the rootstock should be removed frequently to ensure better health of the plant. These sprouts eat up valuable plant nutrition and also cause death of grafted scion allowing only rootstock to grow. Initial, training and pruning of cashew plants during first 3-4 years is essential for providing proper shape to the trees. The trees are shaped by removing lower branches and water shoots coming from the base during first 3-4 years. Thereafter, little or no pruning is necessary. The plant should be allowed to grow by maintaining a single stem up to 0.75-1.0 m from the ground level. Weak and criss-cross branches are also chopped off. In order to avoid lodging of the plant by wind, proper staking of plant is essential. After 4-5 years, the main stem is detopped to a height of 4-5 m from the ground level. Thereafter, regular removal of dried/ dead wood, criss-cross branches and water shoots once in 2-3 year is done to keep the plant healthy. The training and pruning of cashew plants is done during August – September. The cut surfaces are smeared with Bordeaux paste. The flowers appearing during first and second year of planting should be removed (de-blossoming) and plants should be allowed to bear fruits only after third year.

1. 1. Top working

Better management practices may increase the yields marginally but boosting cashew production 3-4 folds in a short span of time is perhaps possible only by “genetic transformation” of the existing plantations with high yielding varieties. It is reported that this genetic transformation can be effected through top working. The rejuvenation of unthrift cashew plantations through top working involves beheading of trees, allowing juvenile shoots to start-out and taking up of in-situ grafting using procured scions of high yielding varieties. Periods from November to March and February to June have been found to be ideal for beheading and in-situ grafting respectively. It has been observed that the top worked trees within a period of two years have not only put forth a canopy of 3-4 m in diameter and 5-6 m in height (as that of 8-10 year old trees) but also have given an yield of 3 to 5 kg nuts per tree in their first bearing itself.

1. 1. Pests

It is observed that there are about 30 species of insects infesting cashew. Out of these tea mosquito, flower thrips, stem and root borer and fruit and nut borer are the major pests, which are reported to cause around 30% loss in yield.

1. 1. • Tea Mosquito

The nymphs and the adults of tea mosquito (Helopeltis spp.) suck sap on the tender leaves, shoots and inflorescence and even young nuts and apples. The saliva of the insect is very toxic, which causes blistering at the site of infestation. Severe attack on the young shoots cause dieback. Attacked inflorescence usually can be recognised from a distance by their scorched appearance. Tea mosquito population builds up during the beginning of the rainy season, when the cashew tree is full of new flush. Tea mosquito can be controlled by spraying carbaryl 0.1.% or phosalone 0.07% or dimethoate 0.05%. Spraying should be done thrice, first at the time of flushing, second at early flowering and third at the time of fruit set.

1. 1. • Thrips

Both nymphs and adults suck and scrape at the underside of the leaves, mainly along main veins, causing yellowish patches, latter turning grey, giving the leaves a silvery appearance. The thrips are more active during the dry season. 0.05% monocrotophos or 0.1% carbaryl are very effective for controlling thrips

1. 1. • Stem and Root Borers >

The young white grubs bore into the fresh tissues of the bark of the trunk and roots and feed on the subsequent subepidermal tissues and make tunnels in irregular directions. Due to severe damage to the vascular tissue the sap flow is arrested and the stem is weakened. The characteristic symptoms of damage include the presence of small holes in the collar region, gummosis, yellowing and shedding of the leaves and drying of the twigs. Once the plant is infested complete control of this pest is very difficult. However, prophylactic measures for its control can be adopted with 0.1% BHC swabbing twice a year, once in April-May and the second application during November.

1. 1. • Fruit and Nut Borers

The young caterpillar bores through the apple and nut causing deformity and /or loss of kernel weight. Spraying of monocrotophos – 0.05% concentration at flowering and fruit setting is recommended

1. 1. Diseases

Fortunately cashew crop does not have any serious disease problem except the powdery mildew caused by a fungus, which affects the young twigs and inflorescence and makes it wither. This disease generally appears when the weather becomes cloudy. Control can be obtained by dusting with 2% sulphur W.P.

1. Harvesting and Yield

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. However, if the apples are also used for making jam, juice, syrup, Fenni, etc., the fruit has to be harvested before it falls naturally. The cashew apples are removed and the nuts are dried in sun for 2-3 days to bring the moisture level from 25 per cent to 9 per cent. The maturity of the cashew nut is tested by floatation method. The mature nuts sink in water while the immature/ unfilled ones float. The nuts are collected at weekly intervals from the farm during the harvesting season. During that period the land should be clean in order to facilitate collection of cashew. Plantations of unknown origin or seedling progenies with conventional methods of cultivation yield less than one kg of raw nuts per tree. However, there is a chance to increase the yield up to 4 to 5 kg per tree with the adoption of improved production techniques, over a period of 4 to 5 years. In new plantations, with the use of elite planting material coupled with a package of improved agronomic practices, a yield of 8-10 kg per tree could be achieved

1. 1. Marketing

Marketing of raw cashew is not a problem in view of the fact that our raw material production is considerably low (around 6.74 lakh t) when compared to the processing capacity of our existing factories (around 7.0 lakh t developed so far). The raw cashew nuts fetch a price of Rs.65-70 per kg in the internal market

1. Processing

The processing of cashew involves the following steps :

1. 1. • Preliminary cleaning
      • Roasting
      • Shelling and separation
      • Drying
      • Peeling
   Preliminary cleaning of cashew nuts is done by manual picking of large objects and by sieving. The cleaned cashew nut is roasted in open pan or earthen ware or rotary cylinder or hot oil bath. The first two methods are simple and cheap, but they are time consuming and lead to poor recovery of CNSL (Cashew Nut Shell Liquid). The rotary cylinder method is more hygienic and efficient, but a major portion of the CNSL would be lost. The hot oil bath process combines good roasting and recovery of shell liquid. The cleaned cashew nuts are placed in wire baskets and immersed in a tank containing CNSL, boiling at a constant temperature of about 180-200°C for about 60 to 90 seconds.

The CNSL in the tank should be stirred continuously to avoid local overheating and excessive polymerization and clogging. However, the hot oil bath processing is costlier, and is resorted to only by a few processors. The most common method adopted is roasting by rotary cylinder method. After roasting, the shells are removed and the nuts extracted manually. In manual shelling, recovery of whole kernels is more compared to the mechanical shelling. The kernels are dried in hot air chambers which facilitates peeling of the outer coating or testa. To prevent breakage, the kernels are to be handled very carefully, as they are brittle at this stage. The shelling percentage of cashew varies between 20-25.

1. 1. Grading and Packing

Grading is done for export purposes based on “counts” or number of kernels per pound. Sound kernels are named as “wholes” and broken ones as “splits”. The wholes are again classified as whole white kernels, whole scorched kernels, whole dessert kernels (a) and whole dessert kernels (b).

The splits are also further graded into white pieces, scorched pieces, dessert pieces (a) and dessert pieces (b) based on certain physical characters. The wholes are packed in several grades viz., 210, 240, 280, 320, 400, 459 and 500; the popular grade is 320. The specifications for graded kernels are that they should be fully developed, ivory white in colour and should be free from insect damage and black and brown spots.

Packing is done in time by Vita pack method (exhausting the air inside the packing tin, pumping in carbon dioxide and sealing).

Medical benefits

The cashew tree’s leaves and bark as well as the popular cashew apple possess herbal health benefits that include killing bacteria and germs, stopping diarrhea, drying secretions, increasing the libido, and reducing fever, blood sugar, blood pressure and body temperature, but unfortunately the byproducts of these parts of the cashew tree are not available in North America and Europe, mainly due to their highly perishable qualities. The cashew nut, a popular treat found on grocery and health food store shelves across the world, is jam-packed with nutritional content. It packs 5 grams of protein per ounce and high levels of the essential minerals iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese, which are utilized in holistic health solutions and healthy diets. The health benefits of cashew is summarised

Other Medical Benefits of Cashew are as follows:

• Aids in curing cancer
• Boosts immune system
• Promotes formation of red blood cells
• Helps to maintain good helath of bones
• Reduces risk of type 2 diabeties and Animea
• Helps to lower risk of formation of gallstones
• Beneficial in lowing blood pressure and triglyceride level

Nutritional Value of Cashewnut:

Diet and Weight Management

Cashew nuts do have a relatively high fat content (12 grams per ounce, 2 grams saturated fat), but it is considered “good fat.” This is due to the agreeable fat ratio in the nut, 1:2:1 for saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated, respectively, which scientists say is the ideal ratio for optimal health. Cashew nuts also have a fatty acid profile that contributes to good health through phytosterols, tocopherols, and sqaulene, all of which lower the risk of heart disease, combined with the nut’s zero percent cholesterol content. Even with the relatively high fat content, cashew nuts are considered to be a “low-fat” nut. In fact, cashew nuts contain less fat per serving than many other popular nuts commonly found in grocery stores and health food stores, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts and pecans.

Recommendations vary for cashew nut consumption in diet and weight loss. Cashew nuts have a high energy density and high amount of dietary fiber, both which have been attributed to a beneficial effect on weight management, but only when eaten in moderation

Cardiovascular and Circulatory Health With no cholesterol, a rarity for such a tasty and pleasing treat, cashew nuts are a healthy fat food for heart patients. And because of their high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids, they also help support healthy levels of low good (HDL) cholesterol.

Magnesium The cashew nuts high magnesium content also takes the credit for its healthy heart qualities. In their raw form, cashews contain 82.5 milligrams of magnesium per ounce, or 21 percent of the daily recommended value of the heart healthy mineral, which also protects against high blood pressure, muscle spasms, migraine headaches, tension, soreness and fatigue. Magnesium also works with calcium to support healthy muscles and bones in the human body.

Antioxidants And with a high copper content, too, cashew nut consumption helps the body utilize iron, eliminate free radicals, develop bone and connective tissue, and produce the skin and hair pigment melanin. Copper, which is an essential component of the enzyme superoxide dismutase , is vital in energy production and antioxidant defense, producing greater flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints.

Diabetes Recent clinical trials have shows that cashews and other nuts work with a person’s lipid profile to have a beneficial effect on those with diabetes or at risk for diabetes.And with 37.7 percent of the daily recommended value of monounsaturated fats, cashews can reduce triglyceride levels in diabetics, protecting them from further complications. Integrating frequent nut consumption into your diet, especially raw cashews, may lower the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, the most commonly diagnosed form of diabetes in America today.

Gallstones All nuts, including the cashew nut, have been associated with a reduced risk of gallstone disease. According to the Nurses’ Health Study, looking at the dietary data of 80,718 women, integrating at least one ounce of nuts a week, such as cashews, gives women a 25 percent lower risk of developing gallstones.

DENTAL HEALTH Research has also shown that chemicals in cashew nuts kill gram positive bacteria, a pervasive mouth affliction that causes tooth decay, acne, tuberculosis and leprosy.

Eating cashew nuts at moderate levels, some say, can eliminate abscessed teeth, though this has not been proven yet by proper clinical trials.

Topical Uses

Topical Uses While the cashew nut is most enjoyed when eaten, it also possesses astringent qualities that are now used in topical creams and gels. A Philippine scientist who has made a career out of studying the health benefits of cashew nut extract markets the extract in a cream for warts, moles and other skin growths. The Philippine-produced cream is also reportedly effective on basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, though this too is not yet available in the U.S.

Cashew Product

With cashew nuts, moderation is key in reaping the health and flavor benefits of nature’s treat. Feni (sometimes spelt fenny or fenim) is a spirit produced exclusively in Goa, India. There are two types of feni; cashew feni and coconut feni, depending on the original ingredient. The small batch distillation of feni has a fundamental effect on its final character; still retaining some of the delicate aromatics, congeners and flavour elements of the juice from which it was produced. As a thumb rule, the aroma is indicative of a carefully crafted feni.

Feni is classified as a “country liquor”, and is therefore not allowed to be sold outside the state of Goa. The word feni is derived from the Sanskrit word phena (“froth”); this is thought to be because of the bubbles that form a light froth when the liquor is shaken in a bottle or poured into a glass. It is generally accepted that coconut feni was produced before and then followed to adapt the same procedure for distilling the exotic cashew fruit. Coconut palms are abundant along the coastline of Western India and Goa, whereas the cashew tree was an exotic species brought by the Portuguese to India. There is ambiguity about when and who started distilling fermented juice into a spirit.

The feni consumed in South Goa is generally of a higher alcohol content (43-45% abv) as compared to the feni produced in North Goa. Commercially packaged feni is available at 42.8% abv.

In the traditional method of making cashew feni, only tree ripened cashew apples that have fallen are picked and taken for the crush. The cashew apples are de-seeded and then dropped into the stomping area. This area is called a “colmbi” and is usually a rock cut into a basin shape. The cashew apples are stomped to release the juice. Stomping has now gradually been replaced by the use of a press called a pingre (cage). The pulp is then hand-pattied into small mounds traditionally using a particular vine, nudi, which is snaked around it to hold it together while a heavy weight (typically a boulder) is placed on top. The juice produced through this process is known as neero, and is refreshing to drink. The fresh neero is traditionally in a large earthen pot called a kodem, which is buried halfway in the ground and left while the juice ferments for several days. Delicate earthen kodem have now been replaced by plastic drums for the sake of practicality. The juice is then allowed to sit for three days as it ferments. No artificial yeast or nutrients are added to hasten the process.

Cashew feni is distilled employing the traditional pot, which is still practiced. A traditional distilling feni is still known as a bhatti. The use of an earthen pot as the boiling pot has now been replaced with copper pots, both known by the same name bhann. The distillate is collected in an earthen pot called a launni. The tradition of cold water being continuously poured on the launni to condense the distillate has now been replaced by immersing a coil in cold water.

Cashew feni is a triple distilled spirit. The first distillate of the fermented neero is known as urrack, about 15% alcohol (30 proof). Urrack is then mixed with neero in a proportion determined by the distiller, and redistilled to give a spirit called “cazulo” or “cajulo” (40-42% abv). Cazulo or Cajulo is again distilled with urrack to give a high strength spirit called feni (45% abv). Note that cazulo is generally sold as “feni”, as the spirit is considered too strong of an alcoholic beverage for consumption. All cashew feni now available is double distilled.

The feni selling market is largely unorganised. Locals tend to buy feni directly from the thousands of traditional distillers who run seasonal mini-distilleries or stalls in the villages of Goa. A large volume of feni that is distilled is sold directly by distillers to taverns who have business relationships that extend over generations.

Cashew feni is seasonal; distilled only from late February to mid-May. It is highly dependent on the fruiting of the season. The price of cashew feni is also speculated on the fruiting season. Coconut feni is produced throughout the year as coconut trees are tapped year round. During the monsoon months, the coconut palms produce more toddy than the drier months. Toddy tapping is very labour-intensive and so is not an appealing profession. This has led to the dramatic decline in production of coconut feni.

In the organised sector, there are also hundreds of brands to choose from that cater to the tourist market. Locals have slowly begun to switch to standardised bottled feni in recent years. Feni has seen an increase in sales due to consumer interest in “exotic” spirits. Feni can be served neat or over ice, and can be mixed in classic cocktails or with juices. It can be served with a slice of lime, and sometimes with sugar or sugar syrup, which are popular additions. Popular mixers are cola, tonic water and lemonade, with the latter probably the most popular. Feni is also often mixed with Limca, Sprite or 7up.

Geographical Indication Cashew feni was awarded Geographical Indication registration in 2009 as a speciality alcoholic beverage from Goa, described as a colourless, clear liquid that when matured in wooden barrels develops golden brown tint. This designation was achieved through the efforts of the Goa Cashew Feni Distillers & Bottlers Association and the Department of Science, Technology & Environment of the Government of Goa. The application of a G.I. for coconut feni has been neglected

1. 1. Alcohol

In Goa, the cashew apple (the accessory fruit) is mashed and the juice extracted and kept for fermentation for a few days. Fermented juice then undergoes a double distillation process. The resulting beverage is called feni or fenny. Feni is about 40-42% alcohol. The single-distilled version is called urrac, which is about 15% alcohol. In the southern region of Mtwara, Tanzania, the cashew apple (bibo in Swahili) is dried and saved. Later it is reconstituted with water and fermented, then distilled to make a strong liquor often referred to by the generic name, gongo. In Mozambique, cashew farmers commonly makes a strong liquor from the cashew apple, agua ardente (burning water). According to one source, an alcohol had been distilled in the early 20th century from the juice of the fruit, and was manufactured in the West Indies.