Cambodia’s next China goal
After mango exports to China were approved, gaining access for dragon fruit may be Cambodias next priority
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Cambodia gained
approval to export mangoes to China in April 2020 and has sent the first of what its
hopes to be tens of thousands of tonnes of mangoes.
According to a report from the
Khmer Times, the country’s agriculture industry has already begun assessing the next opportunities, and dragon fruit exports to China are top of the list.
Yaing Siang Koma, founder of the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture, has been involved in the development of dragon fruit production in Cambodia, notably a 1,000ha project in Sambor Neak, Preah Vihear province, which aims to supply international markets.
Cambodia wants to increase dragon fruit sales to China
Now that the deal allowing for the export of mangoes to mainland China is bearing fruit, Cambodian officials are eying the possibility of capitalising on China’s appetite for dragon fruit. After a dip in 2020, fresh dragon fruit exports to China grew by 77 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021. It was the sixth most popular fruit import last quarter, with a value of $165 million, according to official Chinese figures.
Yaing Siang Koma, founder of the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture, has already committed to helping grow 1 million dragon fruit trees on 1,000 hectares of land in Sambor Neak, Preah Vihear province, to supply the international market. Koma believes that the project will eventually create 3,000 to 10,000 jobs locally.