Cashew from Karnataka
Karnataka sits between Kerala's processing scale and Goa's heritage. The coastal cluster around Mangalore is mid-sized but increasingly known for organic and specialty grades, with direct export access via Mangalore Port.
Specialties
Mid-size export, organic potential, mixed grades
Harvest
Feb–May (peak Mar–May)
Key clusters
Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada
The Karnataka coast
The Karnataka cashew industry is centred along the Karavali coast — the narrow coastal belt running from Mangalore north to Karwar. Dakshina Kannada district leads in processing capacity; Udupi and Uttara Kannada contribute smaller but growing volumes. The combination of high-quality coastal RCN, port-adjacent logistics, and increasing organic certification activity makes Karnataka an interesting middle option between Kerala (scale) and Goa (premium).
Why source from Karnataka
- Mid-volume flexibility — most Karnataka processors handle 5–50 MT/month orders comfortably
- Organic supply — smaller-farm structure supports credible organic certification
- Mangalore Port access — direct export shipping, no inland transport overhead
- Quality consistency — Karnataka processors generally maintain tighter defect specs than the mass-volume Kerala competition