The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will soon start to assist mango farms in complying with China’s health inspection and quarantine requirements, bringing mangoes next in line on the list of fruits to be exported from Cambodia to China, it has recently been reported. In July, the Cambodian government elected to prioritize mangoes, longans, peppers, dragon fruit and coconuts for export to China. However, Ke Monyvuth, director of the ministry’s crop protection and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) department, has been quoted as saying that to date only mango farms have registered for assistance.
The ministry will offer technical support to the registered farms to help them meet China’s stringent SPS requirements and prepare them for inspection by Chinese officials. A delegation of Chinese customs officials is due to visit Cambodia this October to conduct inspections at the mango farms and packing plants.
This year, Cambodia has seen a bumper mango harvest, causing the market price to plummet. This is a typical phenomenon for agricultural products. The Cambodian government hopes to see the formation of cooperatives of mango farmers within the next year, with standardized technology and supply contracts to protect the farmers’ interests.
According to mango farmers in Tbong Khmum province, they did not have any established production plan in the past and their harvests have been very much dependent on the weather. The Cambodian government will evaluate this situation and provide training to the farmers. Increasing the farmers’ knowledge about growing mangoes and helping them to develop export markets are therefore key goals. Obtaining permission to import to China has recently become the top priority for Cambodia’s mango sector. To date, only Cambodia and Indonesia have not received permission to import their mangoes.
