With an export volume exceeding 830,000 tonnes of raw cashew in the initial seven months of the current year, Cambodia has ascended to the position of the world's second-largest exporter of the nut. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as reported by the Cambodian News Agency (AKP), indicates that Cambodia's cultivation area spans over 580 hectares, yielding an annual output of 1.5 tonnes per hectare. In response to this growth, the Cambodian Government has launched the National Policy on Cashew 2022-2027, aiming to become the leading global cashew exporter.
The execution of this policy involves the establishment of three modern cashew farming communities in Kampong Thom province, directly linked to the market. These initiatives are supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries through the provision of capital and technical assistance to farmers, ensuring efficient operation with enhanced value and profitability. Despite exporting over 650,000 tonnes of raw cashew worth approximately $837 million last year, Cambodia faces challenges in processing, with the capacity to process only about 5% of its over 200,000 tonnes annual production, leading to a predominance of fresh cashew nut exports.
The National Policy on Cashew delineates key objectives, including the improvement of productivity and production capacity, and the promotion of industrialization to augment the added value in cashew harvesting and processing by-products to 25% by 2027 and at least 50% by 2032. Furthermore, the policy emphasizes the expansion of export markets, integration of various sectors in export activities, trade facilitation, cost reduction, and the enhancement of competitive market advantages.
Source: The Investor