Germany Cashew Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The Germany Cashew Market is expected to register a CAGR of 4.1% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights

• Cashew nuts are one of the most popular edible nuts available in the market. Cashew is a kidney-shaped nut that is rich in protein, Vitamin K, and fat, and contains oil. Across European countries, Germany is the largest consumer of cashew nuts. The demand for cashews as snacks in Germany is seasonal, peaking in the winter months and falling during the summer seasons.
• There has been an increasing application of cashew nuts in the end-user food and beverage industry. Industrial users have taken a recent interest in cashew nuts, using it in cookies, cereals, as a topping on ice cream, and to produce cashew nut butter. The consumption of cashew nuts increased due to the increasing trend of healthy snacking. Cashew nuts are also increasingly being used as an ingredient in spreads and snack bars (especially organic). As per International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, over the past five years, consumption increased by an annual rate of 7% in volume in Germany.
• Germany consumers are showing increasing awareness of nuts’ health benefits. Cashew nuts are promoted as specifically rich in iron (contributing to a strong immune system) and vitamin K (contributing to healthy blood and bones). Another driving force for the increased consumption of cashew nuts is their taste. Further, the favourable exchange rates and stable prices in the regional market are equally triggering the interest of packers and consumers.
• Thus, the increasing demand for cashews from the processing industry is further fueling the consumption of cashew nuts in the country. A similar uptrend in the demand is expected in the coming years.

Germany Cashew Market Trends

Increasing Import Demand for Cashews

Germany is Europe’s second-largest importer of cashew nuts. Germany accounts for 53% of the imported cashew circulated within the region. Viet Nam, India, Indonesia, Bolivia, and the Netherlands were the major exporters of cashew nuts to Germany. The import demand for cashew is enhancing owing to the increasing health benefits among customers. In addition to this, cashews are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and are a good source of protein. The rich fat content of cashews makes them a seamless substitute for heavy cream, as it can be added to a variety of sweet or savory dishes as a healthy vegan substitute for heavy whipping cream.

As per the ITC Trade Map, the total German import value was USD 602,593 thousand in 2020. While this appears to leave space for other suppliers, in reality, Netherlands suppliers have a much larger share because additional quantities are imported from the Netherlands (47.4%), which acts as a transit country for Vietnamese and Indian cashew nuts. The main reason for this strong dependence on imports from Vietnam and India is the lack of processing capacities for shelling in other growing regions. However, with the increase in demand for cashews from the food industry, imports are expected to increase in the coming years.

Increasing Demand for Healthy Cashew Snacks

The country’s market for cashew kernels is highly focused on the snack segment, whereas the demand for pieces and broken kernels are derived from the growing food industry. Cashew kernels are largely used in the German market as a roasted-and-salted snack. Lately, cashew kernel also turns out to be interesting to industrial users and is used in cookies and cereals, and is also promoted as a topping on ice cream. The consumers in Germany are increasing, mainly due to the lower price differentiation between cashew and other nuts, like almonds. Despite the minimal production within the country, it is completely dependent on the imports to satiate the domestic demand.

Furthermore, cashews are relatively high in fiber compared with peanuts, which helps gain a healthy weight by improving digestive function. The nutritional benefits also extend to a high iron and magnesium content in cashews compared to peanuts, which enhance the enzymatic reactions in the body. Such high-value nutrition has prompted snack manufacturers in Brazil to launch several cashew-based snacks to meet the demand, such as ready-to-drink cashew milk, which acts as a lactose-free milk substitute.

In addition, cashews are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and are a good source of protein. This rich fat content of cashews makes them a seamless substitute for heavy cream, as it is increasingly used in a variety of sweet or savory dishes as a healthy vegan alternative to heavy whipping cream in the country. Hence, due to the increasing consumption of various cashew-based snacks and ready-to-eat foods in the country, the Brazil cashew market is anticipated to grow during the forecast period.

Germany Cashew Industry Overview

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