Processed Vietnamese cashew nut products will soon be sold directly to supermarkets in the US for the first time.

Dang Hoang Giang, General Secretary of the Vietnam Cashew Association (VINACAS), told Saigon Times Online newspaper that Kroger, a large US retailer, would buy 100 containers of roasted cashews from Vietnamese suppliers each year for distribution at its supermarkets and retail stores.

Vietnam exports at least 150,000 tonnes of cashew products to the US, China and Europe annually, but most of these are raw. The export of local processed cashew products, with more added value, is expected to popularise the country's brands among American consumers, Giang said.-VNA