Laikong Sophal

With over eight years in the cashew sector, Mr. SOPHAL Laikong has been serving as the Acting Executive Director of the Cambodia Cashew Federation (CCF) for more than two years, with over eight years of experience in the cashew sector. He played a pivotal role in establishing Cambodia’s National Cashew Nut Policy 2022–2027 and is recognized as a pioneer of CCF, collaborating with multiple stakeholders to shape the cashew industry. Laikong’s expertise spans cashew nut processing, food safety, and export readiness, advising multiple local processors to meet international standards. He also facilitated the registration of four new cashew varieties with the Ministry of Agriculture and led Cambodia’s successful hosting of the World Cashew Nut Conference 2024, drawing over 500 participants from 40 countries. His collaboration with USAID’s Harvest II & III programs, HEKS-EPER, GIZ-CRAS, ICCO, and Morodok Baitaing has impacted over 50 cooperatives and 8,000 households, establishing him as a key expert in Cambodia’s cashew value chain.