Hazelnuts and cashews get more expensive (2024)

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Hazelnuts and cashews get more expensive? ›

Wholesale prices: hazelnuts and cashews increase

However, the limited number of suitable growing regions limits the overall supply of cashew nuts. The demand for cashews is high globally, but the scarcity of suitable growing areas leads to a relatively low production volume. The combination of high demand and limited supply further drives up the price of cashew nuts.

Roasting the cashew nuts to destroy the toxins is dangerous as well, as the toxins are released into the air. After the toxins are removed, the cashews must be graded and sorted. The entire process is labor-intensive as well as hazardous, which helps explain part of why cashews are so expensive.

To start, nut trees typically take several years to mature enough to produce a substantial harvest. Once ripe, harvesting nuts like macadamias is labor-intensive and manual. After harvest, nuts go through multiple processes like selection, shelling, and roasting, which all add to the cost.

Macadamia nuts are the world's most expensive nuts. The farmland for growing macadamias is worth millions of dollars and the price only keeps increasing.

Cashews are delicious, and they have a number of health benefits, too. But there are a few interesting facts about the cashew that may surprise you, including where it's from. The cashews consumed in the US mostly come from India and Africa. They differ from other nuts, though, in how they're grown.

Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts are often regarded as one of the most expensive nuts. They are prized for their rich, buttery flavour and are native to Australia.

Macadamia nuts are the most expensive nuts in the world. A one pound bag can cost around $25, almost twice as much as other nuts like almonds, and they've been breaking price records year after year.

Cashew plants contain a toxic substance called urushiol in the plants' leaves. This substance is also found in between the nut and the shell, making shelling these nuts a highly skilled and sometimes hazardous process.

Cashews are not really nuts in the true sense, but rather a drupe seed according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. They grow on fruit producing trees that produce a "false fruit" known as the cashew apple. The fruit resembles a small bell pepper being yellow to red in color.

Are hazelnuts expensive? ›

In 2022, tree nut prices fell to their lowest levels in at least two decades. Prices after adjusting for inflation, called real prices, were $1.10 per pound for almonds, $0.51 for hazelnuts, and $0.25 for walnuts.

The rate of food inflation for food at home is expected to slow as the year goes on, but prices in most categories will still rise. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its forecast for 2024 that shows all food prices are expected to increase 2.5% while food-at-home prices are predicted to go up 1.6%.

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea), also known as the groundnut, is a legume crop widely grown in the tropics and subtropics and, by far, the most consumed nut worldwide [4].

When it comes to nuts, Walnut is considered to be the king of nuts. Good for health, the heart, and the brain, Walnut is packed with antioxidants that help prevent plenty of diseases and even slow down the process of ageing.

The healthiest nut is often considered to be the almond. Almonds are rich in nutrients like fiber, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They are also associated with various health benefits, including heart health and weight management.

Wholesale prices

In 2024, the approximate wholesale price range for US cashew nuts is between US$ 4.04 and US$ 6.06 per kilogram or between US$ 1.83 and US$ 2.75 per pound(lb).

Since cashew requires a frost-free tropical climate, planting in the United States is limited to extreme south Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. There is no commercial production in the United States, though cashews are grown in botanical collections and some home landscapes.

These two delicious nuts are similar in many ways, but there are also some differences between cashews and almonds. Almonds are the more nutritious option. They're also cheaper than cashews, so they're a better all-around choice. If you're baking, go with almonds since they're easier to blend.