Walnut and almond cracking, grading and gift packing unit

This unit buys walnuts and almonds in their shells, cracks them, sorts the kernels by size and colour, roasts or flavours some of them, and packs them in sealed pouches, jars and gift boxes. Broken kernels sell loose to sweet makers and bakeries.

Jammu and Kashmir grows most of India's walnuts, and much of the crop travels to the rest of the country by road and rail through Jammu. The city's Raghunath Bazaar is known for its dry fruit shops, and pilgrims on the way to Vaishno Devi often stop there to buy walnuts. Many shops still sell loose, unlabelled stock, so clean, well-graded packs with a clear packing date can stand out.

You need an FSSAI licence, GST, a walnut cracking machine, a grading table, a small roaster, a sealing machine and a cool, dry store. Hand sorting of kernels gives steady work to local women. The hard parts are cash and freshness: you must buy most of the year's stock at harvest in autumn, and kernels turn bitter and stale if stored badly. Imported walnuts also compete on price in big cities.

Sell to dry fruit shops in Jammu and Katra, to sweet shops and bakeries, to companies buying festival gift boxes, and online as Jammu and Kashmir walnuts.