While 100 ml of orange juice contains 60 mg of vitamin C, 100 ml of cashew juice has 200 to 250 mg. "Cashew loses only to acerola and camu camu, a fruit not yetmarketed," says agronomist and researcher at Embrapa Ceara, Antonio Calixto.

In addition to vitamin C, cashew, which is rich in carbohydrates, fiber, minerals (calcium, phosphorus and iron) and B complex, has much more to offer due to cashew nuts. "It has 30% protein of high nutritional value and is a major source of vitamin E, which has been linked to heart health and reproductive organs," says Geraldo Maia Arraes, a professor at Federal University of Ceara in the area of Fruit Technology and CNPq researcher.

Because it has so many qualities in a single fruit, cashew is cheap because it is abundant in the northeast of Brazil, where it is very consumed, either fresh, juices, jams, jellies and a variety of ways. The cashew agribusiness generates direct and indirect labor and is responsible for a planted area of around one million hectares in the northeast of Brazil.

Information is from the website Dieta e Beleza.

According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (Mdic, in portuguese), the main export products that propelled exportation in the state in February are: Footwear, leather and cashew nut. The footwear sector is responsible for more than 30% of international exports and cashew nut by 17%.

The first two months of international sales in Ceara were 7.5% higher than the same period in 2010. In February the state totaled 104.9 million dollars in sales to foreign markets, registering the best score ever achieved for the months of February, according to information released by Mdic.

Information from Diario do Nordeste.

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture established the phytosanitary requisites to import raw cashew nut from Ivory Coast to Brazil.

The cashew nut should be treated with gas before boarding to eliminate pests that do not exist in the country. According to the chief of the Analysis Division of Pest Risk in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jefe Ribeiro, this procedure guarantees the safety of imported products and protects Brazilian agriculture. "

For cashew nut to be sent to Brazil, is need a Phytosanitary Certificate issued by theNational Organization of Phytosanitary Protection (ONPF, in portuguese) of the Ivory Coast. The product must have a new package and be free of soil material and plant residues.

The standards were published in the Diario Oficial da União (DOU) last Thursday (10).

Information is from Tribuna do Norte.

A professor of chemistry in the UFPI university, in Piaui, Brazil, created an antioxidant for biodiesel produced from cashew nut liquid, providing more durability of fuel making biodiesel evaporates slowly.

According to the Professor Jose Ribeiro dos Santos Junior, the creation is not only important for increasing the durability of fuel, but also by using a regional product, the cashew nut, available in large quantities in the region of Piaui.

"That way we will contribute not only to an optimal use of fuel, but also for preserving the environment, " concluded Jose Ribeiro.

The additive based on the cashew nut liquid has caused interest in private companies. As the teacher believes in its expansion in the industry he has already initiated the patent process.

Information is from the website 180 graus.

The northeastern region of Brazil is responsible for more than 95% of national production of cashew, and the states of Ceara, Piaui, Rio Grande do Norte and Bahia, are the main producers.

The cashew tree is a tropical plant native from Brazil and although its main production is in the northeast, it is present in almost all the national territory.

The information is from the Embrapa.

The cashew production has a great social importance in Brazil by generating many direct jobs, approximately 35 000 in the countryside, 15 000 in the industry and 250 000 indirect jobs in both areas.

To the people in the northeast the cashew has even greater importance since the jobs of the countryside occur in between harvests of traditional crops such as corn, beans and cotton, reducing the rural exodus.

The Information is from Embrapa.

Industrial production in Ceara rose 10.8% between January and November of 2010, as informed by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). According to the survey, the increase of roasted cashew nut production was a stimulant for that.

Among the sectors, food and beverages (12.7%), chemicals (20.4%), machinery and equipment (65.3%) and footwear and leather goods (7.6%) dominated the industrial production from Ceará. 

The information is from the Brazilian newspaper, Diario do Nordeste.

Did you know that the biggest cashew tree of the world is in Brazil? The tree is located in Pirangi do Norte in  Parnamirim, 12 km south of the capital Natal (RN) and has a canopy of nearly 10 thousand square meters. The branches of the cashew grow abnormally and become roots when they reach the ground.

According to Tribuna do Norte the cashew tree has grown so much that is already moving along the roads, which creates some concern among the residents.