Cambodia’s cashew industry is celebrating a lucrative year for local farmers, with dry nut prices reaching up to 8,200 riel per kilogram, with Vietnam one of Cambodia's largest buyers. As of July 15, Vietnam had imported 1.81 million metric tonnes of cashews, up 12.3 percent in value and four percent in volume compared with the same period last year, according to figures from Vietnam Customs. partner content banner Making up 54.2 percent of total import volume and 56.3 percent of total import value, Vietnam continued to be Cambodia’s largest importer of raw cashew nuts, according to VNExpress International. It added, “Vietnam imported 980,700 tonnes from Cambodia, valued at more than $1.7 billion, up 10.3 percent in volume and 25.9 percent in value.” To obtain more information about which countries Cambodia exports raw cashew nuts to and what concrete steps are being taken to expand raw cashew export markets beyond Vietnam, Kiripost contacted Penn Sovicheat, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, but he did not respond at the time of publication. Uon Silot, President of the Cambodian Cashew Nuts Association, told Kiripost that this year’s raw cashew nut harvests are “good”. “On average, wet cashew nuts are priced at 5,300 riel [per kilogram]. Meanwhile, dry cashew nuts have risen up to 8,200 riel. The profits go directly to the farmers,” he said. “This is because the association coordinates between traders and farmers so that both parties receive a fair and equal share. That is why the cashew nut industry seems to be luckier than other products in the agriculture sector.” However, he went on to dispute Vietnam’s report, stating that the figures differ from those Cambodia has recorded. Silot said Cambodia has recorded that up to one million tonnes of raw cashew nuts were exported to Vietnam in the first half of 2026. Despite this, the value is the same overall, as the Kingdom earned $1.7 billion from exports. When asked if it is a challenge for local producers while Cambodia lacks domestic processing, Silot agreed, stating that currently, the industry is reliant on Vietnam as one of its major buyers. He added that for the last three years, prices have consistently fluctuated, with foreign traders continuously manipulating Cambodia. “Starting from 2024 onwards, we have had certain strategies to counter price drops,” Silot noted. At the same time, to stabalise prices and further strengthen the sector, he said Cambodia and relevant parties need to have domestic processing facilities. Socio-economic analyst, Chey Tech, said exporting raw cashew nut products to Vietnam can cause Cambodia to lose significant value added profits and substantial economic benefit. “Vietnam simply imports raw cashew nuts from Cambodia, processes them and can export them to international markets, earning enormous profits. Furthermore, the waste related to the by-products from that processing can also be used to serve sectors, such as biogas, energy, and agricultural fertiliser, among others.” Tech recommended that the government should further strengthen the sector to achieve high added value for cashew nut products and reap the full economic benefits. He added that there should be investment attraction in processing work on these products, stating that regarding incentives for domestic and foreign investors in processing, once they invest, they will look for their own markets to sell finished products internationally. “The government must also support access to capital. Vietnam has strong potential to compete in processing and marketing because state financial institutions in Vietnam can borrow funds from overseas sources at low rates, around two to 2.5 percent, and provide those funds to the private sector for development,” he said. “Unlike us, we rely on private commercial banks with high interest rates, making it difficult for us to compete. Secondly, Vietnam uses public debt, issuing public debt to gather capital to fund the private sector, SMEs and various enterprises.”