Cambodia is set to expand its cashew processing industry next year, with three new factories expected to open and collectively process more than 14,000 tonnes of cashew nuts annually. The move aligns with the Royal Government of Cambodia’s National Policy on Cashew Nuts, which aims to process 25% of the country’s total cashew output for export by 2027.
Despite currently low volumes of processed cashew exports, the sector has seen growing investment momentum. The Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC) reports a steady rise in factory construction and expansion, signaling strong confidence in the industry’s long-term potential.
According to CAC President Silot Uon, the three new factories planned for 2026 will have a combined processing capacity of over 60,000 tonnes per year. Two of these facilities are located in Kampong Thom province and one in Kampong Cham. The first Kampong Thom factory is scheduled to begin operations around May, with the second expected to the end of the year. The Kampong Cham facility has already completed construction and equipment installation and is expected to start operating soon.
All three factories are backed by local investors and are designed to process approximately 20,000 tonnes of cashew nuts annually. Silot noted that a Korean company is also conducting a feasibility study for a new processing plant of similar scale to Japanese-owned Mirarth, which is already operating in Cambodia.
For the country to stabilize cashew prices and ensure sustainable growth, Cambodia needs processing facilities capable of handling around 300,000 tonnes of cashew nuts per year, Silot emphasized.
In addition to the confirmed factories, five more plants are in the planning stage. These projects are awaiting entry into the Kampong Thom Cashew Agro-Industrial Park, where they hope to obtain Qualified Investment Project (QIP) status. The QIP certificate provides tax incentives, including exemptions on machinery imports and certain export duties for processed cashew products.
Cambodia currently has more than 50 cashew processing factories and enterprises. Six are medium-scale operations with capacities ranging from 7,000 to 14,000 tonnes per year, while over 40 are small-scale family-run workshops.
According to data from Vietnam’s General Department of Customs, Cambodia exported more than 960,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts to Vietnam during the first 10 months of 2025, generating over USD 1.4 billion in revenue.
