<p><strong>Viet Nam’s leadership position in cashew exports has been extended for another year, the eighth consecutive year in a row, reports the Viet Nam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). A spokesperson for MARD recently revealed that export revenues of cashew nuts for 2014 surpassed the US$2 billion mark, sufficient for Viet Nam to retain its top position as the world’s biggest cashew exporter.</strong></p> <p><strong>The announcement was made at a conference on cashew nut sustainability in Binh Phuoc Province addressing the opportunities and challenges facing the cashew sector. At present, Viet Nam has around 400,000 ha of cashew cultivation area, mostly in the Central Highlands, south-eastern and south-central coastal regions. The country’s total cashew output hits approximately 400,000 tonnes per annum.</strong></p> <p><strong>Attendees proposed several measures to help local cashew producers and exporters iron out snags and develop a sustainable cashew sector, which included providing preferential credit loans to exporters, and creating a closer link between farmers and processors. They also stressed the need to apply advanced technology in cashew production and processing, offer farmers incentive loans, and build up an annual mechanism for cashew prices.</strong></p>