TOKYO -- Vietnam's top two exports in 2018 in terms of value were smartphones, including mobile phones, which made up 20% of total exports, and apparel, accounting for 13%. Compared to these two cash cows, its cashew nut exports were small in value, belying the Southeast Asian country's position as the world's top producer of the commodity for the past 17 years.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in 2018 Vietnam produced about 2.66 million tons of cashews, including their shells, a 23% increase from the previous year. That was 3.4 times more than India, the world's second biggest producer, which grew roughly 790,000 tons, making Vietnam the undisputed leader.
