Agriculture minister Dith Tina meets with an CSNC Agriculture delegation on March 18. MAFF
CSNC Agriculture, a joint venture by Cambodian and Singaporean firms, is expected to expand their investment in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector. The company began construction of a cashew nut processing facility in December, and also has plans to export edible bird’s nests and durian.
Suy Kokthean, chairman of the CSNC board of directors, met with Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina on March 18 to outline the venture’s plans.
Kokthean said on March 19 that his company also intends to invest in cassava exports, and originally had plans to begin the export of all four products simultaneously.
“We have started on three kinds of product at the same time: cashew, durian and edible bird’s nests. At the same location we are building our cashew processing facility, we are constructing a cool store which will be used to store durian fruit and swallow nests before they are exported.
“In the near future, we intend to establish a cassava processing plant, but we are currently awaiting the results of an impact study,” he added.
Kokthean noted that the nut processing plant is located in Kampong Thom province, with construction divided into two phases. The first phase will see total capital investment of $5 million, with the second phase expected to see another $7 million invested. The facility sits on 14ha of land and, once completed, will be capable of processing 40 tonnes of cashews per day, employing a workforce of around 200.
“We want to drive Kampong Thom province to become the largest producer of processed cashews in Cambodia. We also expect that this will create jobs for local people, as well as a market for local cashew farmers,” he added.
Tina expressed his support for the CSNC’s investment in the agriculture sector.
“To make this investment successful and sustainable, the company needs to have a clear investment plan and cooperate closely with the government to ensure its operations are in line with the national policy. This will also allow for the facilitation of support from the relevant ministries,” he said.
He urged the firm to consider cooperating with local agricultural communities, as they offer a reliable supply of large quantities of high-quality nuts. This will reduce costs, add value and the company will enjoy the benefits of strong production chains.
Tina suggested that the venture also examine the possibility of providing low-interest loans to farmers, so they can expand the efficiency of their operations.
Cambodia has around 700,000ha of land under cashew cultivation. With 150,000ha of cashew plantations, Kampong Thom is the largest producer. At present, the Kingdom exports up to 90 per cent of its cashews in raw form, but has plans to increase the proportion of nuts that are processed, thereby adding value.
