It was aimed to estimate the production costs and profitability of the cashew in natura in the Region of Jales, northwest of the State of São Paulo. The data were collected with producers through questionnaire application and elaboration of spreadsheets, to characterize the whole productive process and to accomplish economical analysis. The fruit production for table demands a system of more intensive cultivation mainly in the control of curses and diseases, as a result, the cost of the production which is increased is later compensated by the best reached prices. The costs of the production are high, but what should be outstanding is the relative participation of the packings that can arrive a third of the effective operational cost. The profitability indicators show that the cashew production is profitable in this area, the lucrativeness index was 46,50%.
Cashew; production system; costs; profitability
