Japanese Firm Invests Over US$1m in Kampong Thom Cashew Processing Plant Expansion

• 4 March 2024
• Local News
• 3742 Views

Japanese company MIRARTH GreenTech has initiated the expansion of its cashew processing plant in Trapeang Arak village, Chey commune, Kampong Svay district, Kampong Thom province. The development, costing upwards of US$1 million and to be implemented from April to June, aims to tap into broader export markets for Cambodia. The groundbreaking ceremony, held under the auspices of HE Touch Bun Hour, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Agriculture, was held on 28 February 2024.

Secretary of State HE Touch Bun Hour highlighted Kampong Thom’s prominence as Cambodia’s leading cashew producer and extolled the quality of Cambodian cashew nuts, renowned for their size and exquisite taste, garnering acclaim from various nations, including Japan.

The expansion project is poised to address the prevalent challenge of unprocessed cashew exports due to inadequate facilities for drying, storage, and processing. This limitation often compels the immediate, underselling of cashew nuts post-harvest.

Post-construction, the upgraded facility will boast a daily processing capacity of 10 tons of cashew nuts, with an initial contractual commitment of 1,500 tons for the first year, escalating to 3,000 tons annually in subsequent years.

Furthermore, MIRARTH GreenTech has inked a memorandum of understanding with ten communities, including five in Preah Vihear and five in Kampong Thom, solidifying its commitment to sourcing cashew nuts sustainably.

Kampong Thom province, spanning 145,300 hectares of agro-industrial crops, predominantly cashew, witnesses an annual harvest of 80,000 hectares, yielding an average of 1.5 tons per hectare. The province currently houses seven cashew processing enterprises and 23 dryers.

The government’s proactive measures to bolster the cashew sector include a recent US$35 million loan injection to invigorate the cashew production chain, coupled with a dedicated US$30 million allocation for the upcoming 2024 cashew harvest. (Read more)

• Agriculture and Aquaculture Project