Kampong thom: Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of Cambodia, has reaffirmed the Royal Government's determination to transform the Kingdom into a global leader in cashew nut production, as part of broader efforts to modernise and add value to the agricultural sector.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new Cambodian People's Party (CPP) office building in Kampong Thom province, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet highlighted the importance of increasing high value-added production to create jobs, boost farmers' incomes, and strengthen Cambodia's role in the global cashew market. He noted that cashew nuts are a high-potential agricultural product for Cambodia, and the government has implemented policies to promote investment in domestic processing facilities, which are expected to generate employment, increase added value, and enhance exports.
With vast potential for cashew cultivation across multiple provinces, the Prime Minister emphasised Cambodia's ambition to become the world's leading producer in the near future. In 2024, Cambodia became the world's second-largest producer of raw cashew nuts, with a total output of 850,000 tonnes-an increase of 26 percent compared to the previous year. The country currently has over 580,000 hectares of cashew plantations.
However, a significant challenge remains as most raw cashew nuts are exported for processing abroad, mainly to neighbouring countries, which limits domestic value-added benefits. To address this, the Royal Government is actively implementing the National Cashew Policy 2022-2027, focusing on increasing local processing capacity and improving competitiveness in the global market.
Cashew is considered one of Cambodia's key cash crops, alongside rice, rubber, cassava, palm oil, bananas, mangoes, longans, and pepper. Currently, the Kingdom has approximately 700,000 hectares of cashew plantations across around 10 provinces, with Kampong Thom ranking as the country's top producer.