Cambodia Cashew

Explore Cambodia’s cashew industry through production, cultivation, processing, international trade, investment opportunities and value-chain development.

Agriculture Agro-processing International Trade Investment Intelligence

Industry Overview

Cambodia is an important raw cashew-producing country. The next stage of sector development depends on improving productivity, post-harvest handling, domestic processing and access to diversified international markets.

NIS Planted Area — 2024 507,000 Hectares

NIS Production — 2024 370,400 Tonnes

NIS Harvested Area — 2024 455,000 Hectares

Production & Cultivation

Production estimates vary between agricultural surveys, government mapping exercises and industry estimates. This page keeps these statistical series separate.

2024 NIS Production Snapshot

Planted area 507,000 ha

Harvested area 455,000 ha

Production 370,400 tonnes

Average yield 810 kg/ha

Source: Cambodia Agriculture Survey 2024, National Institute of Statistics (NIS). View report. NIS survey data

Alternative Industry Estimate — GIZ 2024

Estimated in-shell production 840,000 Tonnes — 2024

GIZ/CAPSAFE estimated 2024 production by combining agricultural mapping, yield analysis, trade statistics and field research.

Estimated

Source: Cambodian Cashew Value Chain Analysis, EU-German CAPSAFE, December 2024. Read report.

Important statistical note: NIS reports 370,400 tonnes while GIZ estimates 840,000 tonnes for 2024. These figures use different methodologies and must not be combined into one production trend.

Production Data by Province

Provincial yield estimates help identify differences in agricultural productivity and the use of improved varieties. The figures below are from GIZ/CAPSAFE’s 2024 mapping comparison and fieldwork.

Cashew Yield Comparison — 2024

Province	MAFF Mapping Yield	Fieldwork Yield	M23 / Improved Varieties
Kampong Thom	1,490 kg/ha	1,430–1,500 kg/ha	90%
Kratie	2,000 kg/ha	907–2,000 kg/ha	90%
Ratanakiri	680 kg/ha	947–1,000 kg/ha	47%
Kampong Cham	1,300 kg/ha	1,200–1,800 kg/ha	97%
Stung Treng	1,200 kg/ha	1,750 kg/ha	90%+
Preah Vihear	1,400 kg/ha	1,000–1,500 kg/ha	51%

Source: GIZ/CAPSAFE, Cambodian Cashew Value Chain Analysis, Figure 5-3, page 44. These are yield estimates, not total provincial production.

Fieldwork and mapping estimates

The GIZ study estimates that the two largest producing provinces accounted for 45% of national production in 2024, while the eight largest provinces accounted for 93%. These are study estimates, not a current provincial census.

Cashew Varieties & Products

Major Varieties

M23 and other improved varieties
Traditional and locally cultivated varieties
High-yielding planting materials
Varieties selected for nut size and quality

GIZ/CAPSAFE identifies M23 as a major improved variety in several leading producing provinces.

Product Categories

Raw cashew nuts in shell
Shelled cashew kernels
Roasted and packaged cashew products
Cashew ingredients and consumer products
Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL)
Cashew apples and other by-products

Processing Industry & Value Addition

Domestic processing is essential for increasing the value retained in Cambodia, developing export-ready products and creating industrial employment.

GIZ Processing Estimates — 2024

Primary processing 20,000 tonnes

Secondary processing 500 tonnes

Processed FOB value US$33.06M

Secondary processing value US$5M

Source: GIZ/CAPSAFE value-chain analysis, 2024 estimates. These are not a current factory census.

Estimated

Industry Development — 2026

Cashew processing enterprises 50+ Reported in October 2026

The Ministry of Commerce was reported as saying that processed cashew exports exceeded US$60 million in the first eight months of 2026, up 30%.

Reported figure — verify details

Source: Fresh News, reporting Ministry of Commerce statements, 8 October 2026. Read report.

Processing capacity, actual processing volume, processed export volume and export value are separate indicators. They should be collected and reported separately.

International Trade & Exports

Export performance is tracked through government statements and international customs databases. Trade classifications and reporting periods must be checked before comparison.

2026 Export Snapshot

Export volume — Jan to Sep 2026 723,814 Tonnes

Reported export value US$1.17 billion

Destination countries 27 countries

Reported by Fresh News from a Ministry of Commerce official’s statement on 7 October 2026.

Provisional reported data

2025 Industry Association Estimate

Raw cashew export revenue US$1.5B+ 2025 — CAC estimate

CAC reported more than one million tonnes of raw cashew exports in 2025, with Vietnam as the main destination.

Unofficial industry estimate

Source: CAC, 15 January 2026. Read CAC report.

Export Classification by HS Code

HS Code	Product	Export Value	Export Quantity	Status
080131	Cashew nuts, in shell	Pending	Pending	Needs verification
080132	Cashew nuts, shelled	Pending	Pending	Needs verification

HS 080131 and 080132 should be collected separately under the applicable HS nomenclature.

WITS currently provides a 2025 result under HS 1988/92 code 080130, covering cashew nuts fresh or dried. That older classification does not provide the same split as HS 080131 and 080132. Its figures must not be inserted into the two separate HS rows above. View WITS 2025 data.

Investment & Industry Projects

The following projects have been publicly reported. Announced plans and agreements are not treated as completed investments or operational factories.

SAMAN Corporation — Cashew Processing Cooperation

MoU signed — 5 November 2026

CAC signed an MoU with South Korea’s SAMAN Corporation to cooperate on cashew production, infrastructure, training and processing in Kampong Thom.

The proposed processing plant is described as having a planned daily capacity of 20 tonnes.

Source: CAC, 5 November 2026. Read announcement.

Kampong Thom Cashew Industrial Park

Proposal reviewed by CDC — June 2026

CDC’s Cambodian Investment Board reviewed a proposal for a specialized cashew industrial park in Kampong Thom. If approved and implemented, it could attract processors and related agro-industrial businesses.

The proposal should not yet be described as an approved, operating special economic zone.

Source: CAC report on CDC review, 25 June 2026. Read announcement.

Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) Projects

Planned projects — 2026

CAC reported that three companies were preparing investments in CNSL extraction: one Japanese company, TPJ, and two Vietnamese firms.

The projects were expected to support industrial use of cashew shells and other by-products. Actual commissioning and operational status require confirmation.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse, 4 June 2026. Read AKP report.

US$5 Million Cashew Processing Plant — Korea Cooperation

Announced project — April 2026

CAC reported a proposed processing plant in Kampong Thom valued at more than US$5 million, with planned capacity of up to 20 tonnes of raw cashew nuts per day. Construction was announced as scheduled for September 2026, with completion expected by the end of 2029.

The construction start and implementation progress have not yet been independently confirmed here.

Source: CAC, 26 April 2026. Read announcement.

Government Policy & Industry Development

National Cashew Policy 2022–2027

Cambodia’s National Cashew Policy provides a framework for improving production, quality, food safety, competitiveness, market diversification and domestic processing.

The policy has set ambitions for increasing domestic processing. Reported targets include processing 25% of the harvest by 2027 and at least 50% by 2032. Progress toward these targets should be tracked against verified annual processing data.

Open Development Cambodia — Policy resources

Industry Challenges & Risks

Production Risks

Climate variability and changing rainfall
Flowering and harvesting weather conditions
Pests, diseases and input management
Yield differences among provinces and varieties
Farmer exposure to raw cashew price fluctuations

Market & Processing Risks

Dependence on Vietnam for raw cashew exports
Limited domestic value addition
Processing technology and finance constraints
Food safety and pesticide residue requirements
Traceability, storage and post-harvest handling

GIZ/CAPSAFE identifies market concentration, post-harvest infrastructure, processing competitiveness and climate resilience as important issues for the Cambodian cashew value chain.

Data Sources & Methodology

Data are drawn from national institutions, industry organizations, development partners and international trade databases. Each figure must retain its reporting year, unit, source and methodology.

National Institute of Statistics (NIS) Agricultural surveys and national statistics. Official website

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Agricultural mapping, production and cultivation data. Official website

General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE) Customs-based merchandise trade statistics. Trade statistics portal

Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) Government economic data and datasets. MEF Data Platform

Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC) Industry estimates, sector announcements and project updates. CAC website

GIZ / EU-German CAPSAFE Cashew value-chain research and industry analysis. Read value-chain report

UN Comtrade International merchandise trade by product and partner. UN Comtrade

World Bank WITS International trade and tariff data. WITS database

International Trade Centre (ITC) Export potential, market access and trade intelligence. ITC website

Data classification

Verified: supported by an authoritative source and clearly defined.
Estimated: calculated or modelled using stated assumptions.
Provisional: reported but not yet fully reconciled.
Needs Verification: additional source confirmation required.
Disputed: conflicting figures or definitions remain unresolved.