Cambodia’s agricultural export potential — opportunity snapshot (2024 → 2025)
Cambodia’s agriculture sector has been a rising star in recent years: while garments still dominate total export value, agricultural commodities (raw and processed) are playing an increasingly important role in bringing foreign exchange and supporting rural livelihoods. In 2024 Cambodia’s total exports reached roughly US$26–26.7 billion, up year-on-year — and agricultural exports contributed a sizeable and fast-growing share of that increase. Trading Economics+1
Below I summarize the strengths, short risks, and a data-driven list of 20 agricultural products that are already exported overseas (values shown where reliable figures are available). For each major numeric claim I include the source so you can link or footnote them on your site.
Why Cambodia has strong export potential (short)
- Large, expanding production: crops like cassava, cashew, rubber and rice saw large volume increases in 2023–2024 as planted area and yields rose. This produced export volumes that translated into substantial export receipts. FAOHome+1
- Regional demand & supply chains: nearby markets (Vietnam, China, Thailand) are big buyers for raw agricultural commodities (e.g., raw cashew, cassava, paddy rice), helping scale exports rapidly. Cambodianess+1
- Opportunity to add value locally: >90% of some crops (e.g., cassava, cashew in raw form) are exported with little processing — improving local processing would raise export value and create jobs. The Better Cambodia
- Risks: reliance on single buyers (e.g., Vietnam as main buyer for raw cashew) and vulnerability to tariffs, transport/border issues, and global price swings (rubber, rice) are material risks to manage. Recent tariff discussions with large markets (e.g., U.S. tariffs affecting garments) show trade policy can shift quickly. Reuters
Top 20 agricultural products Cambodia already exports (2024 numbers and 2025 notes)
Note: For several products Cambodia publishes quantities (tonnes) more readily than final export USD value; where official USD figures are available I show them with a citation. For 2025 I add a short “2025 trend / provisional” note when sources report early results or trends.
| # | Product (agricultural / agro-product) | 2024 export value (USD) — where available | 2025 trend / note | Source (example) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raw cashew nuts / cashew | ~US$1.15–1.5 billion (2024) — multiple reports around US$1.1–1.5B for full-year 2024. | Continued strong volumes in 2025 (Vietnam remains primary buyer); first 10 months 2024 already showed ~790k–815k tonnes exported. | Kiripost+1 |
| 2 | Cassava (fresh & dried; including cassava flour/chips) | ~US$622–728 million (2024) (estimates; MAFF / ministry and press cite US$557–728M ranges). | 2025: large volumes continued; push to shift to dried/processed exports. | The Better Cambodia+1 |
| 3 | Rice (paddy & milled) | ~US$466–491 million (2024) (CRF/GDCE reported ~US$491M for 2024 in some releases). | 2025: paddy and fragrant rice demand rising; government launching premium rice export initiatives. | Kiripost+1 |
| 4 | Natural rubber | ~US$568–666 million (2024, reported ranges) (Xinhua / GD rubber reports cite ~US$666M; other press report ~$568M for 11 months). | 2025: higher prices and rebound in exports in many months — positive momentum. | Xinhua News+1 |
| 5 | Bananas (fresh) | ~US$138.7M (first 11 months 2024) (GDCE reporting) | 2025: mixed — China demand key; 2024 values dipped vs 2023. | FreshPlaza+1 |
| 6 | Mangoes (fresh & dried/processed) | (USD varies by period — e.g., reports show strong growth in processed mango exports in 2025) | 2025: processed mango exports (dried/jam) rising; value growth reported in 2025. | FreshPlaza+1 |
| 7 | Fish & aquaculture / seafood products | Official estimates indicate fisheries/aquaculture generate around ~US$1.0–1.5 billion per year in value (sector-level). | 2025: government pushing higher-value processed seafood exports; market access expanding. | SEAFDEC+1 |
| 8 | Corn / maize | Export value reported in different datasets; maize is a significant crop for feed/exports (figures vary by year). | 2025: stable demand for maize for regional feed markets. | World Bank |
| 9 | Sugar (raw and processed) | Export volumes reported; value varies by season. | 2025: export efforts to regional markets continue. | (ministry/press reports) |
| 10 | Sesame seeds | Exported but values smaller than top crops; used in food/processing exports. | 2025: continuing niche markets (Japan, EU). | (trade press / MAFF) |
| 11 | Pepper | Specialty spice exports (smaller USD than staples) | 2025: niche but growing high-value markets. | (MAFF / trade press) |
| 12 | Coconut & coconut products | Modest export value; used in processed products. | 2025: opportunities in coconut processing. | (trade sources) |
| 13 | Coffee (robusta / small volumes) | Small export base but emerging specialty coffee. | 2025: niche growth for specialty beans. | (trade press) |
| 14 | Palm nuts / palm kernels & palm oil (small scale) | Cambodia exports small volumes relative to regional giants (Malaysia/Indonesia). | 2025: limited but growing in niche exports. | OEC World+1 |
| 15 | Tobacco & leaf | Exported in smaller amounts. | 2025: stable / niche markets. | (trade reports) |
| 16 | Vegetables (fresh / chilled) | Increasing exports to neighboring markets. | 2025: more focus on cold-chain and value-added. | (MAFF / trade press) |
| 17 | Fruits (other — longan, durian, etc.) | Durian/processed tropical fruits emerging in regional trade. | 2025: growing processing/export initiatives. | (trade articles) |
| 18 | Processed cassava products (chips, flour) | Growing share of cassava export value is from dried/flour products but still small compared with raw exports. | 2025: processing growth is a major policy goal. | The Better Cambodia |
| 19 | Wood / sustainable wood products | Forestry/wood products (when sustainably managed) can be export items (non-food agricultural adjacent). | 2025: government calls for sustainable wood value chains. | (trade sources) |
| 20 | Other niche products (honey, spices, aromatic oils) | Small-value but high-margin niche exports. | 2025: promoted for diversification. | (trade press) |
Important: several of the values above are taken from ministry reports and reputable press summaries; for some commodities export quantities are more commonly released than final FOB USD totals. Where I supply a USD figure I cite the specific report or press release so your readers can check the source.
Quick takeaways for exporters and investors
- High-growth crops = cashew, cassava, rubber, rice — these produced the largest recent export receipts among agri-products in 2024. (Cashew ~US$1.15–1.5B; cassava ~US$622–728M; rubber ~US$568–666M; rice ~US$466–491M). Kiripost+3Kiripost+3The Better Cambodia+3
- Add value domestically — processing cassava, roasting/processing cashews, and packaging rice/fruits can multiply export value and create jobs. The Better Cambodia
- Diversify buyers — some crops (raw cashew) are very concentrated to a single buyer/country (Vietnam), which increases vulnerability; export diversification is strategic. Kiripost
- Invest in logistics & quality — perishables (bananas, mangoes, vegetables, seafood) need cold chain, phytosanitary compliance and FDA/EU/Japan approvals to reach premium markets. FreshPlaza+1
Sources & further reading (key links used)
- General trade & totals / GDCE / Customs statistics and press: GDCE / Cambodia customs statistics (publications and press releases). stats.customs.gov.kh+1
- TradingEconomics — Cambodia total exports 2024: US$26.66B (UN Comtrade summary). Trading Economics
- Cashew exports (2024 volumes & value): Kiripost / B2B / local press reports on cashew exports ~815,000 tonnes / ~US$1.15–1.5B. Kiripost+1
- Cassava (production, export volumes & value ~US$557–728M): BetterCambodia / Ministry reporting & press. The Better Cambodia+1
- Rubber export figures (2024 ~US$568–666M reported in various press releases/Xinhua). Xinhua News+1
- Rice export data & USDA analysis (rice production/export notes): Kiripost, USDA FAS Cambodia commodity report. Kiripost+1
- Banana export numbers (first 11 months 2024 ~US$138.7M): FreshPlaza / GDCE reporting. FreshPlaza+1
- Fisheries/aquaculture sector value estimates: SEAFDEC / sector reports. SEAFDEC
- Cambodia economic & World Bank trade analysis (agri export trends 2024): World Bank / economic update. World Bank
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