Quick answer: Cashew trees in Vietnam flower in the dry season (roughly November to January) and are harvested mainly from February to May. Factories still run all year, using stored raw nuts and raw cashews imported from Africa and Cambodia. For kernel buyers, supply is available year-round; what changes with the season is mostly price and how fresh the crop is.
Main cashew growing regions in Vietnam
Cashews grow mostly in the Southeast and the Central Highlands, where there is a distinct dry season and red basalt or grey soils:
- The former Binh Phuoc province (now part of Dong Nai): the largest cashew area in the country, known for big nuts with a high kernel yield.
- Dong Nai and Tay Ninh: long-established growing and processing areas.
- Central Highlands (Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai): significant acreage, with a season that can run slightly differently from the Southeast.
The cashew calendar
- November – January: flowering. Weather at this time (off-season rain, cold mornings) strongly affects yield.
- February – May: main harvest. Ripe fruit drops, farmers collect and sun-dry the nuts and sell them to traders or factories.
- April – July: imported raw nuts from West Africa arrive in volume, topping up factory stocks.
- All year: kernel processing and export continue.
Does Vietnam grow enough cashews for its factories?
No. Vietnam has led world cashew kernel exports for close to two decades, but domestic raw nut production covers only part of what its factories process. Most raw nuts are imported from West African countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, and from Cambodia. If your market requires the origin of the raw material to be declared, ask your supplier about it.
When should you place kernel orders?
- Annual contracts: many buyers fix volumes for the year in the first quarter, once the crop outlook is clear.
- New-crop kernels: kernels from the new Vietnamese crop are usually available from around April–May.
- Peak demand: demand rises before year-end holidays (Christmas, Lunar New Year and, depending on the year, Ramadan). Order two to three months ahead to allow for sea freight.
- Watch the price drivers: global crop size, African raw nut prices, exchange rates and freight costs.
Frequently asked questions
When is the cashew harvest in Vietnam?
The main harvest runs from about February to May, peaking in March and April in the Southeast.
Can I buy cashew kernels outside the harvest season?
Yes. Factories hold raw nut stocks and import more, so kernels are processed and exported all year.
How does weather affect cashews?
Off-season rain and cold snaps during flowering can make flowers drop and reduce yield. Rain at harvest makes nuts damp and prone to mould if they are not dried quickly.
Sources
- Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) — annual industry and crop data.
- International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC), Nuts & Dried Fruits Statistical Yearbook — inc.nutfruit.org
VSAP plans its raw material around the crop calendar to keep supply steady through the year. Send us your requirements for a quote and a delivery schedule that fits your plan.
— VSAP
