Global Nuts Market Summary

• The global nuts market is navigating tighter supply, margin pressure, shifting processing capacity, and uneven demand. This week's summary covers declining US peanut production, changing cashew dynamics across Africa and Vietnam, firm pistachio demand in India, and challenges across almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
• US peanut production is forecast to fall sharply, with planted area down 28% and production down 29% year on year. Farm gate prices remain around $500 per ton despite tighter supply, suggesting adequate inventories or weaker demand. Rising fuel and labor costs are further squeezing producer margins, making the farm gate price to diesel cost relationship an important indicator for future planting decisions.
• Vietnam remains dominant in global cashew processing, but high raw nut costs and limited kernel price growth are compressing margins. Mozambique faces falling export revenues despite relatively stable volumes, while Tanzania and Mozambique continue to target higher production amid low yields and limited processing capacity. Cote D'Ivoire's rising domestic processing share is also reshaping global raw cashew availability.
• Pistachio prices in India are firming ahead of the 2026 festive season, with import dependence leaving premium supplies vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions involving Iran. US shipments remain strong despite changes in Chinese demand, while Afghanistan's emerging sector faces challenges from forest degradation and limited processing infrastructure.
• Almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts face their own structural pressures. High input costs and unharvested acreage remain concerns in almonds, while Ukraine's walnut exports are constrained by quality and infrastructure issues. Oregon hazelnut prices face downward pressure from uncertainty over Turkey's crop and weather-related quality problems, increasing the focus on higher-quality, differentiated products.