Netherlands Cashew Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Key Highlights

• There has been an increasing trend in the consumption of cashew nuts, owing to the increasing health consciousness among consumers in the country. Cashew nuts are also increasingly being used as an ingredient in spreads and snack bars (especially organic) over recent times, boosting the consumption of cashews overall.
• The rapidly growing groups of vegans, vegetarians, and occasional meat-eaters in the country have prioritized plant-based diets and alternative sources of protein instead of those derived from animals, resulting in the soaring demand for nuts and nut-infused food, thereby increasing the consumption of cashew nuts.​ Also, there has been an increasing application of cashew nuts in the end-user food market, boosting the consumption of cashew in the country.
• The Netherlands is one of the largest exporters of cashew nuts. In 2021, it exported 5,176.0 metric tons of cashew nuts which increased from 3,868.0 metric tons in 2018. The demand for the nut is growing at a continuous rate annually. The favorable exchange rates and stable prices in the domestic market are triggering the interest of packers and consumers equally.

Netherlands Cashew Market Trends

Increased demand to boost the cashew market

• In the Netherlands, the climate is not suitable for growing cashews domestically. It is completely dependent on imports. As one of Europe's largest importers and re-exporter, the Netherlands is a highly relevant market for cashew trade.
• There has been an increasing application of cashew nuts in the country's end-user food and beverage industry. Industrial users have taken a recent interest in cashew nuts, using them in cookies, 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.
• According to the ITC trade map, the Netherlands imported 37,849.0 metric tons of cashew nuts in 2018, which increased to 48,448.0 metric tons in 2021. The increase in imports is associated with increasing domestic consumption and re-export.
• The Dutch cashew nut consumers prefer cashew nuts as simple, roasted, salty snacks, but consumption of unsalted cashew nuts is also increasing. Plain nuts without any additions are increasingly being offered, as well as different roasting flavors. In addition, cashew nuts are increasingly used as ingredients in fruit and nut bars, breakfast cereals, nut spreads, nut drinks, ice cream toppings, cookies, and other sweets.
• Due to the consumption, the value of the cashew nuts imports was USD 346.6 million in 2021, which increased by 1.1% from the previous year. Vietnam, India, Germany, and Brazil are some major cashew exporters to the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is the Largest Cashew Nuts Re-exporter

• Since the European climate is not suitable for growing cashews, exports of cashew in the market are the re-export of imported cashews. However, imported cashews undergo various processing procedures in terms of export requirements.
• The Netherlands alone accounts for around half of the European region's total re-export of cashew products. Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, and Italy are some of the major importers of cashew from the Netherlands.
• The total export of cashew nuts by the Netherlands was 28,516.0 metric tons in 2018 which increased to 36,942.0 tons in 2021. The export value of cashew nuts in 2021 was USD 277.2 million, which increased by 4.2% from the previous year. The increase in the re-export indicates the increasing consumption demand in the other European countries.
• There has been an increasing trend in the consumption of cashew nuts, owing to growing health consciousness among consumers in the European region. Cashew nuts are used as an ingredient in various healthy and functional food products, such as in breakfast cereals, cashew nut butter, and chocolate products with cashew nuts.
• The average European consumers mostly prefer the taste of salted and roasted cashew nuts over the taste of most other alternative nuts. The preference for cashew nuts over other alternative snacking options, such as crisps and extruded snacks, is boosting the cashew nuts demand. It is also increasingly used as an ingredient in nut drinks, such as sugar-free cashew milk.

Netherlands Cashew Industry Overview

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