PHNOM PENH: Cambodia exported more than one million tonnes of raw cashew nuts to international markets in 2025, generating US$1.5 billion in revenue – an increase of more than a quarter compared with 2024. Vietnam remains Cambodia’s largest market for raw cashew nuts.
Unofficial data from the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC) show that during the 12 months of 2025, Cambodia harvested around 1,020,757 tonnes of raw cashew nuts. This reflects the resilience of Cambodia’s cashew sector amid ongoing challenges caused by climate change.
CAC further reported that in 2025 Cambodia exported approximately 1,000,757 tonnes of raw cashew nuts to neighbouring countries, earning around $1.5 billion in national revenue – an increase of more than 27 per cent compared with 2024.
The President of the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia, Uon Silot, said that despite significant disruptions related to weather conditions at the beginning of 2025, Cambodia’s cashew nut output remained notably high.
He recalled that in March 2025, unfavourable weather conditions had a strong negative impact on harvesting, prompting experts and industry representatives to warn of a possible decline in cashew yields. However, conditions began to improve in April after the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia introduced climate-adaptation measures.
Positive results continued through May and June, he added, when stable weather conditions allowed cashew production to recover and even exceed initial expectations.
“The final output appears to be contrary to the initial concerns raised by CAC, even though over the past three years CAC has worked to promote organic farming methods and climate resilience in order to help farmers adapt to climate change,” Silot said.
According to CAC, because Cambodia’s cashew processing capacity remains limited, nearly all raw cashew nut production is exported, mainly to Vietnam.
In 2024, Cambodia recorded total raw cashew nut production of 850,000 tonnes, of which 815,000 tonnes were exported – an increase of 21 per cent. Export revenue reached US$1.15 billion, up 26.15 per cent compared with 2023. Of the total exports, 795,000 tonnes were shipped to Vietnam.
CAC also noted that Cambodia currently has approximately 700,000 hectares of cashew plantations, including 580,000 hectares under harvest and around 120,000 hectares of newly planted areas. On average, Cambodia produces between 800,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of raw cashew nuts per year.
According to Silot, as of early 2025 Cambodia had 52 cashew processing enterprises, including six medium-sized factories with production capacities ranging from 7,000 to 140,000 tonnes per year. The remaining 48 enterprises are small, family-based operations that do not operate year-round.
Processing activity at local factories and workshops declined slightly in 2025 due to high international prices for raw cashew nuts, which encouraged farmers and traders to sell raw nuts directly to exporters. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
