Cashew

Water

Rain falls about 12 irrigations (5 cm each) short in a normal year, so it's risky without water.

Needs about 1,320 mm of water here in its growing months. Rain gives about 730 mm it can use in a normal year, and 440 mm in a dry year.

Temperature

Grows best at 15–35 °C on average, and survives 5–46 °C.

Here, in its growing months (day / night):

• Jun 34 °C / 24 °C
• Jul 33 °C / 24 °C
• Aug 33 °C / 23 °C
• Sep 33 °C / 23 °C
• Oct 32 °C / 23 °C
• Nov 30 °C / 22 °C
• Dec 30 °C / 21 °C
• Jan 30 °C / 21 °C
• Feb 32 °C / 21 °C
• Mar 34 °C / 23 °C
• Apr 35 °C / 24 °C
• May 35 °C / 25 °C
• Jun 34 °C / 24 °C

Soil

Soil for Cashew: 7 out of 10 (okay).

• The pH here suits it.
• Most fields here are short of nitrogen.
• Most fields here are short of organic carbon.
• Most fields here are short of sulphur.

Likes pH 4.5–6.5.

Money

Yield: about 1.4 quintals an acre here in this season (district figures).

A new planting gives its first real harvest after about 3 years. The money here is for plants already bearing.

Mandi price at last season's harvest (March–May 2026): about ₹14,855 a quintal across India's mandis.

This week: about ₹11,475 a quintal, the middle of 6 mandis across India (latest 13 Nov). At that price an acre would lose about ₹9,000 a year at typical costs.

Prices are usually best in February.

Typical costs are about ₹25,000 an acre: about half of what a usual harvest earns (2024–2026), as in farm cost surveys. They are spent whatever the harvest.