HANOI (Xinhua): Vietnam is estimated to export 160, 000 tons of cashew nuts worth 680 million U.S. dollars in 2008, up from 153,000 tons valued at 650 million dollars in 2007, local newspaper Vietnam Agriculture reported on Thursday.

World prices of cashew nuts are forecast to remain high this year due to global thinner reserves and smaller cashew-growing areas, while the world demand for cashew nuts grows, on average, four percent each year, said the report.

Vietnam currently has 164 cashew nut exporters, of which 26 have annual nut export turnovers of 5 million dollars upward. They have exported cashew nuts to over 40 countries and regions, including the United States, China, the Netherlands, Germany, England and Australia.