Free of charge

Cashews: the phoenix from the ashes

November 16, 2022 at 12:22 PM , Der AUDITOR
Play report as audio

HANOI/PHNOM PENH. After Cambodia had massively reduced its acreage not even ten years ago due to various difficulties, the situation has now turned around with Vietnam's help. Vietnam itself is also benefiting greatly from this situation.

Proximity offers advantages

In 2017, the Vietnamese business delegation led by Nguyen Duc Thanh, then chairman of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), first announced its intention to massively promote trade with Cambodia. Looking back, Nguyen told Vinacas: "As recently as 2014, Cambodia sold only about 30% of its cashew nut production to Vietnam. Although the quality was relatively good, the production of Cambodian cashews was not high at that time, so the main suppliers of raw cashew nuts for Vietnamese buyers were still African countries. However, there is a big risk for Vietnamese companies in terms of transactions and transport distance from Africa to Vietnam. Our orientation at the time was to source raw cashew nuts more from Cambodia, which was close to the border and easier to pay."

Significant progress in Cambodia

At the time, the Cambodian cultivated area was around 300,000 ha, but due to unstable commodity prices and poor organisation, it was soon after reduced to only around 100,000 mt. This is where Vinacas came in, still keen to source most of its raw nuts from the neighbouring country. Cambodian growers were given support in variety selection, cultivation techniques, harvesting and preservation, so that profits increased for the participating farmers. Through the joint efforts of both countries, the goal of cultivating an area of 1 million ha was soon achieved. The result of this is also impressive: As Vinacas reports in reference to the customs office, 1 million mt of RCN have already been exported from Cambodia to Vietnam in 2021. If this course is maintained, Cambodia could soon surpass Côte d'Ivoire as the largest producer of RCN and become the world's most important supplier, according to Vinacas.

Prices for Vietnamese cashews have declined slightly on the European spot market compared to last week. Cashews, LBW320 currently cost EUR 5.55/kg FCA Spain.

View more
price charts for edible nuts
price charts for dried fruit, oilseeds, spices and more

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Nuts
Aug 3, 2026
NEW DELHI/BUENOS AIRES. Expectation is that India will change direction for peanuts again. International supplies are rather limited.
Nuts
Aug 3, 2026
GAZIANTEP/BRONTE. In Turkey, this year’s crop will range below expectations for pistachios. Traders are reckoning with more downward revisions such as in the USA and Iran.
Nuts
Aug 3, 2026
NEW DELHI/BRUSSELS. In Côte d’Ivoire, the crop cannot hold up to initial expectations. Quality concerns, delays and a success story are impacting shipments from West Africa. Prices are trending in the same direction in Vietnam and in India. Demand dynamics differ in Japan, Canada and the EU.
Nuts
Jul 30, 2026
ORDU. Recent crop estimates show just how far apart expectations for hazelnuts range in Turkey. Season workers are arriving for the harvest season. Growers and exporters are waiting for the TMO to issue a base price.