<p>With Cambodia endeavouring to simplify the process for obtaining certificates of origin (CO) at the border and streamlining customs procedures, Vietnam just announced plans to increase imports of cashew nuts from the kingdom.Vietnam will up their imports of Cambodian cashews in the near future, Nguyen Duc Thanh, president of the Vietnamese Cashew Nut Association, told Cambodian Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon Tuesday.</p> <p>Mr Nguyen also announced that a delegation of Vietnamese companies is now visiting Cambodia to study the local cashew market.“The association will visit Kampong Thom and Kratie province to study and discuss local varieties and promote more advance cultivation techniques that can help farmers save time and money,” Mr Nguyen said.Mr Sakhon said the ministry is working to refine and facilitate the process for obtaining COs at border crossings.</p> <p>Farmers and traders in the provinces of Pailin and Battambang can already apply online for COs for their exports, submitting applications through the website of their respective provincial commerce department, in what is a pilot programme that will be extended to other provinces in the near future.Cambodia produced 104,268 tonnes of cashew nuts last year, 100,000 tonnes of which were bought by Vietnamese cashew-processing companies.Raw cashew nuts sell for $2 per kilogram, while processed cashews go for $17 per kilo, according to Kampong Thom’s Cashew Nut Association.</p> <p>Oum Oun, president of Cambodia’s Cashew Nut Association, said local cashew-processing companies are less sophisticated to those in neighboring countries, particularly in Vietnam, due to a lack of funding and a dearth of skills.“The lack of know-how and funds make them very uncompetitive, so most fresh cashew nuts end up in the hands of traders, who sell them to Vietnam,” Mr Oun explained.During a trip to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month, Mr Sakhon called on Vietnamese investors to up their stakes in processing factories in Cambodia for rubber, cassava, and cashew nuts.</p>