CAC News

Phnom Penh, March 12,2026— The Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC) has held a strategic meeting with the Skills Development Fund (SDF) to explore partnership opportunities aimed at strengthening workforce capacity in Cambodia’s rapidly growing cashew industry.

The discussion focused on potential skills development programs and institutional collaboration, with both sides considering the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize cooperation.

The Skills Development Fund, a national trust fund operating under the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was first piloted in 2018 and officially launched as a trust fund in 2023. The fund supports demand-driven and co-financed training programs designed to strengthen Cambodia’s workforce and better align training initiatives with labor market needs.

During the meeting, representatives from SDF presented several areas where the fund could support members of the cashew industry. These include skills training for farmers handling raw cashew nuts (RCN), capacity development programs for small and medium-sized cashew processing enterprises, and Training of Trainers (ToT) initiatives to expand the reach of technical knowledge throughout the sector.

CAC representatives expressed agreement with the proposed areas of support, noting that strengthening technical and managerial skills is essential to improving productivity, quality, and value addition within Cambodia’s cashew industry.

Both parties also agreed in principle to establish a formal MoU that would serve as a framework for implementing training programs and other collaborative initiatives.

During the meeting, CAC shared additional considerations and conditions related to the proposed partnership, highlighting areas where the association could provide support while also identifying areas where SDF intervention would be particularly beneficial.

As part of the next steps, SDF will prepare a joint action plan outlining proposed activities and share it with CAC for review and input. The fund will also draft a Khmer-language version of the MoU for proofreading before the agreement is finalized.

Silot Uon, Chairman of CAC, believes the collaboration could play a key role in enhancing technical capacity, improving processing standards, and supporting the long-term development of Cambodia’s cashew sector, which has been identified as a priority agricultural industry for the country.