Vietnam, Cambodia to develop cashew farming area

The domestic supply of cashew nuts has satisfied about 20-35 per cent of the firms’ demand for materials, while the import of cashews faces risks from quality control and payment. — Photo vinacas.com.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS) is working with the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to establish a cashew farming area in Cambodia.

The area will be able to produce one million tonnes of cashews annually. VINACAS Chairman Nguyễn Đức Thành unveiled the information at the association’s seminar held in HCM City on December 7, to seek ways to support cashew export between 2018 and 2019.

Addressing the event, Thành said Việt Nam had remained the world’s largest exporter of cashews and had seen a robust growth of the cashew processing industry in recent years. 

However, the domestic supply of cashew nuts has only satisfied about 20-35 per cent of the firms’ demand for materials, while the import of cashews faces risks from quality control and payment, he said.

Cambodia is able to produce high-quality cashew nuts thanks to good varieties and favourable weather conditions, Thành said, adding that the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and some local growers are proposing to cooperate with the VINACAS to build a “one-million-tonne” cashew plantation on an area of 500,000ha in Cambodia in the future.

VINACAS guaranteed to purchase all the cashew nuts to be harvested on the area and will closely coordinate with Cambodia to realise the plan, he said.

Director-General of the Cambodian General Department of Agriculture, Hean Vanhorn, said Cambodia looked forward to supporting Việt Nam in cultivating and harvesting techniques and quarantine technologies to ensure the cashew productivity and quality.

VINACAS decided to provide Cambodia with VNĐ1.5 billion (US$66,600) in financial support for the development of the plan from 2018 to 2022.

Cambodia is currently Việt Nam’s fifth biggest supplier of raw cashews, and if the plan works out, it will become the world’s largest raw cashew producer in the future.