Cambodia/Visit to a food processing company in Kampong Thom

On October 29, 2025, some 90 students from AUF-Cambodia member universities took part in a study trip to Kampong Thom province.

The visit was part of the activities of the Phnom Penh Employability Center, financed by the Fonds Equipe France (FEF) of the French Embassy in Cambodia, aimed at training students in entrepreneurship and facilitating their professional integration.

"The aim of the visit was to enable students to see first-hand how companies operate, from the production lines to the production of raw materials.from raw materials through to quality control and the final product," said Mr. SOK Kuong, AUF project manager. The student entrepreneurs will also have to learn how to manage the collection of raw materials, product management, inventory management, export, as well as human resources, he added.

Kampong Thom province is renowned for cashew nut planting and production. It was here that the students visited two cashew processing factories, one owned by a Japanese company and the other local. Located in the same village, in the Kampong Svay district, both factories employ over a hundred women and young people from the village, while collecting thousands of tons of cashew nuts from different farming communities in the district.

According to Miss SUN Rathana, representative of the Japanese Mirath factory, this is a pilot project with the aim of soon installing a larger factory in the province to increase the production rate to meet demand from the Japanese and European markets.

The students found that the transformation process was complex, involving more than a dozen crucial and time-consuming steps. "It's not as simple as removing the shell to retrieve the nut," they note. The work requires a lot of machinery, from sorting to reheating, shelling and packing.

"Collecting raw materials like cashew nuts is another challenge. If we don't master it, we risk losing our revenue and our production", said Mrs IN LayHuot, owner of the Chey Sambo factory. With over twenty years' experience in the industry, she spoke of her journey from family plantation to village cashew cooperative representative to entrepreneur. She shared her inspiring experience with the students, who admired her courage, having launched her business with just 60,000 Riels, or around 150 US dollars, without any resources.

"If you aspire to be an entrepreneur, know that you will have to face winds and storms," she concluded.

Impressed by Ms. IN LayHuot's success, Kim Borany and other students were encouraged to pursue their own entrepreneurial projects, seeing her as a role model.

Following the presentations of the two factories, the students had the opportunity to taste various products, some of which they even bought for their families. They did not forget to visit the Sambo Prey Kok temple, some ten kilometers away.

Just as before arriving in Kampong Thom, the atmosphere on the bus was lively, with exchanges of experience between elders and young people, particularly on the creation of entrepreneurial projects and the presentation of their ideas. Moments of karaoke also brightened up the journey, making for a joyful and dynamic atmosphere. The students suggested that the AUF organize more company visits in other regions and entrepreneurship training for their peers.

Source: www.auf.org/nouvelles/