CAC News
Kampot province — November 20 — The Cashew Association of Cambodia (CAC) joined a workshop organized by the Department of Agro-Industry (DAI) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), as officials and industry representatives gathered to strengthen national standards for raw cashew nuts (RCN).
The goal of the initiative is to enhance the capacity for supporting and monitoring food production chains. According to DAI, the initiative aims to assist processing enterprises, producers, farmers, and food-processing communities in meeting hygiene, safety, and quality standards. This support will enable them to qualify for certifications and expand into both domestic and international markets.
A central focus of the workshop was the inconsistent RCN standards currently imposed by buyers—requirements that have caused difficulties for farmers due to the absence of a unified national benchmark. DAI is now working to establish a standardised set of rules for RCN quality that all stakeholders in the cashew sector will be required to follow.
As part of this effort, CAC dispatched a representative to learn the new standards and relay them to agriculture cooperatives (ACs) in Ratanakiri province. These cooperatives are expected to supply small-sized nuts for W320 production to Mirarth, a Japanese cashew-processing company operating in Kampong Thom.
Despite being the world’s second-largest producer of raw cashew nuts, Cambodia has limited domestic processing capacity, forcing most of its harvest to be exported. President of CAC, Silot says diversifying markets is essential for stabilizing prices, but improving product quality remains equally critical to meet buyers’ expectations.
From January to October 2025, Cambodia exported nearly one million tonnes of raw cashew nuts to Vietnam, generating roughly USD 1.47 billion, according to figures released by Vietnam’s General Department of Customs on November 6, 2025.
