The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answers are as follows.

¶ 02 (a) (i) 1973. (ii) General objectives: - Increase harvest by expanding cultivation; improve processing industry and estate productivity. - Establish a globally accepted brand for Sri Lankan cashew. - Value addition and new product development. - Promote exports. - Make Sri Lanka a leader in cashew production. - Achieve self-sustaining profitability as a State corporation. Statutory purposes under the First Schedule to the State Agricultural Corporations Act include advising the Minister, undertaking cultivation/processing/marketing, conducting research, collecting and disseminating technical/market information, determining locations and standards for processing facilities, purchasing/distributing/selling/exporting cashew and products, training personnel, establishing primary organizations and assisting them, and promoting and marketing products including funding promotional activities.

¶ 03 (iii) Extent under cashew cultivation by 2024: 38,895 acres.

¶ 04 (b) (i) Estimated harvest and requirement (metric tons) - 2020: Harvest 26,784; Estimated annual requirement for cashew kernels 25,000. - 2021: 8,225. - 2022: 14,730. - 2023: 13,014. - 2024: 14,007. - 2025: Data not yet available.

¶ 05 (ii) Cashew exports (kernels): quantity (MT) and foreign exchange (Rs. million) - 2020: 34.31 MT; Rs. 81.13 mn - 2021: 26.26 MT; Rs. 89.07 mn - 2022: 58.20 MT; Rs. 212.83 mn - 2023: 68.34 MT; Rs. 311.08 mn - 2024: 104.79 MT; Rs. 303.12 mn - 2025: Data not yet available

¶ 06 (iii) Cashew imports (kernels): quantity (MT) and foreign exchange (Rs. million) - 2020: 549.20 MT; Rs. 139.88 mn - 2021: 0.05 MT; Rs. 0.01 mn - 2022: 2,075.7 MT; Rs. 860.7 mn - 2023: 3,192.98 MT; Rs. 1,134.93 mn - 2024: Data not yet available - 2025: Data not yet available

¶ 07 (c) (i) Private importers (2025 import authorizations issued by the Ministry to the following, among others): Varnisa Imports (Pvt) Ltd; Ivory Cashew Products (Pvt) Ltd; Wilpotha Agri Business (Pvt) Ltd; Wijaya Kaju Mada Nishpadanaya; New Peoples Cashew Nuts; Lanka Guardian Commodities Exports; S F Agro International (Pvt) Ltd; Neth Cashew Products; S & U Special Cashew Nuts; Udaya Cashew Industries; Samadhi Cashew Products; Yasansa Cashew Business; Lanka Organic Foods Exports Imports (Pvt) Ltd; Ingredient House (Pvt) Ltd; and others listed. Exporters/importers (indicative list): Achiev Fast Products (Pvt) Ltd; Fruits & Nuts Exports (Pvt) Ltd; Commercial Export Syndicate; Ananda Stores; Janashakthi Cashew Nut Processors Welfare Association; ES Trading; Ceylon Export (Pvt) Ltd; Apex Ventures (Pvt) Ltd; Trust Lanka Suppliers (Pvt) Ltd; Gajaba Foods; Forbes & Walker Fine Foods (Pvt) Ltd; Green Supper Agriculture (Pvt) Ltd; Kandy Trade Centre (Pvt) Ltd; R&O Cashew Nuts; Ran Osas; Barakath Cashew Nuts Industries; B.M. Chaminda Foods (Pvt) Ltd; N.E. Traders; Global Traders; ABC Importers & Exporters (Pvt) Ltd; MCM Holdings (Pvt) Ltd; C/S Matara Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society; Sathuta Cashew Business; G.K. Cashew; Shiroshi Group (Pvt) Ltd; Prime Infinity Trading (Pvt) Ltd; ARK Foods; and others.

¶ 08 (ii) Measures to protect local producers and businesses: - Provide Treasury-backed inputs via the “Cashew Cluster Village Project” to encourage cultivation expansion. - Permit imports of raw and kernel cashew only when domestic off-season or shortage conditions prevail, to protect local producers and traders.

¶ 09 (d) Not applicable.