Raw cashew nuts in a processing facility in Kampong Thom province last November. Hong Menea
The Cashew nuts Association of Cambodia (CAC), one of the world’s largest producers, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) in a move to bolster collaboration in the industry.
The partnership aims to enhance the growth and market reach of cashew cultivation, signalling a promising step forward in the global sector.
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Suy Kokthean, vice-president of the CAC, said on February 4 that the agreement was signed the day before, following the conclusion of the World Cashew Conference in Siem Reap province.
He said the MoU’s objective is to promote cooperation between the parties, facilitating exchange of studies on the commodity from Africa and Cambodia, allowing access to farms and processing facilities in their respective countries, and participating in forums and conferences organised by both.
“The [ACA] is a large alliance. With the MoU signed, we will continue to engage in in-depth discussions to assist cashew growers from both sides in understanding techniques to supply cashew nuts to processing countries like Vietnam and India,” he explained.
Regarding the outcomes for Cambodia and the cashew sector from the three-day conference, Kokthean said that at last year’s gathering, participants were only aware of the reputation of Cambodian cashews.
However, at this year’s conference, he noted that over 500 delegates from 40 countries saw firsthand Cambodian cashew varieties with large, high-quality seeds.
“The CAC encouraged foreign investors to consider Cambodia for processing investments. We also led delegates on tours of cashew plantations. This greatly benefits the development of our cashew sector on an international level,” he said.
Kokthean added that Cambodia currently holds about 20% of the world’s raw cashew market share, following Ivory Coast and India.
Pen Sovicheat, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, highlighted the symposium’s importance in showcasing the potential of Cambodian cashews globally.
“The conference brought together domestic and international … participants to discuss and share experiences in promoting the sector, finding markets, organising exhibitions and building a global cashew network,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Kingdom has approximately 472,946ha of cashew cultivation, yielding a total of 709,419 tonnes in 2023.
Last year the country exported around 656,000 tonnes of raw cashew to China, Japan, Bangladesh, India, Vietnam and Thailand. Processed cashew nuts were shipped to China, the Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Vietnam and the US, as per the ministry.
