Cambodia Cashew Federation (CCF) recently urged processing companies in Vietnam to buy cashew nuts directly from farmers as this can ensure better prices for them. An Dara, President of CCF, put forward this request during a meeting with the president of the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas) at Cambodia Cashew Association headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Dara suggested that large companies in Vietnam buy more raw cashew from Cambodia as local factories can process only five percent of the produce even though the country is one of the largest producers of cashew in the world. Dara pointed out that farmers would get a better price if the companies can procure directly from them. He also asked the companies to collaborate with CCF, as the federation is striving to connect farmers with the market besides extending support for harvesting and drying cashew nuts to ensure standard size and quality. According to him, the federation is aware that farmers lack knowledge regarding the proper harvesting methods, leading to excess wastage. “We must make sure that the farmer knows how to store the cashew even if it is wet. If he wants to sell the dried cashew at a higher price, he must dry it properly and remove the bad nuts. This is where the federation is working with the farming communities,†Dara said. Uon Silot, President of the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia, told Khmer Times that Cambodia and Vietnam are good partners in the cashew sector due to their proximity and they have agreed to purchase cashew from the community directly which could reduce the cost of transportation as well. However, trucks from Vietnam are not allowed to enter Cambodia, so they need to wait at the border for delivery from Cambodia. Both sides are working to find a solution to this issue, Silot added. The meeting between CCF and Vinacas assumes significance, as the Kingdom is one of the largest producers and exporters of quality cashews while Vietnam imports nearly 95 percent of cashews from Cambodia and processes them for exporting to other parts of the world. Dara, meanwhile, invited Vinacas to join the coming World Cashew Conference as well and give a presentation on how Vietnam cashew produce is processed including nuts and shells.