The Council for Agricultural and Rural Development has signed a record of discussion with South Korea’s Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC) on a new project which aims to add value to Cambodian cashew exports by establishing processing facilities in the Kingdom.
The signing of the “Agricultural Value Chain Improvement through Cashew Nut Processing and Export in Cambodia” agreement was witnessed by Senior Minister Ouk Rabun, chairman of CARD, and Choi Chan Won, director of the KRC’s Global Project Office.
The event was attended by senior officials from the governments of both nations, as well as the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CRC), the Kampong Thom provincial administration, the Cashew nut Association of Cambodia and An Sung Soo, KRC Cambodia country director.
When it goes ahead, the project will be funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and managed by the KRC, as part of efforts to further strengthen the solid cooperation between Korea and Cambodia.
Rabun noted that cashews are one of Cambodia’s priority crops, with government attention focused on increasing productivity and exports to strengthen competitiveness and diversify the national economy.
“This project will contribute to the implementation of Cambodia’s National Strategic Development Plan and the Agricultural Sector Strategic Development Plan,” he said.
The project aims to support the increase of processed cashew exports, which will help increase income for smallholder farmers, create employment opportunities for local communities in Kampong Thom, and contribute to rural economic development.
Chan Won described the signing as demonstrating the strong friendship, cooperation and long-term partnership between the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Korea, particularly in the fields of agriculture and rural development.
He expressed strong confidence that the project will help strengthen a resilient, competitive and inclusive cashew nut value chain, benefiting the Cambodian people and supporting sustainable national economic development.
Mr. Choi Chan Won ensured that, KRC will work closely with CARD and all relevant stakeholders in Cambodia to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
No details of funding, or a timeline for the project, were shared during the signing.
According to the Cashew nut Association of Cambodia(CAC), Cambodia harvested 1,020,757 tonnes of raw cashew nuts in 2025. More than 95 per cent were exported raw to Vietnam, generating approximately $1.5 billion, an increase of 27 per cent over 2024. As of early 2025, Cambodia had 52 cashew processing enterprises, including six medium-sized factories with annual processing capacities ranging from 7,000 to 14,000 tonnes. The remaining 48 enterprises are small family-run operations that do not maintain year-round production.
