Cambodia exported 423,168 tons of fresh bananas in 2021, up 27 percent year-on-year, the Phnom Penh Post reported, citing figures from the country’s Agriculture Ministry. Last year, China imported the vast majority of Cambodian bananas with 376,962 tonnes, while Vietnam was the second largest market with 45,193 tonnes, followed by Japan with 533 tonnes and Singapore with 480 tonnes. The ministry said that the banana trade with China has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic compared to other major regional banana suppliers such as Vietnam. Potential investors take note of banana boom Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon noted…
Cambodia will export 423,168 tons of fresh bananas in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 27%. Phnom Penh Post Data from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture was cited.
Last year, China imported the vast majority of Cambodian bananas with 376,962 tonnes, while Vietnam was the second largest market with 45,193 tonnes, followed by Japan with 533 tonnes and Singapore with 480 tonnes.
The ministry said that the banana trade with China has not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic compared to other major regional banana suppliers such as Vietnam.
Potential investors take note of banana craze
Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon pointed out that Chinese demand is driving Cambodia’s exports and has attracted great interest from investors. However, the main obstacle to further expanding Cambodian banana fields is the lack of available water.
“We are always looking for suitable land to grow bananas to expand the area, which will allow us to export millions of tons to China one day,” Sakhon was quoted as saying, noting that China has a market demand of 12 million tons of bananas. Bananas every year.
The boom in banana exports to China has also fueled a boom in banana exports to China by allowing 22 private companies to export fresh yellow bananas to the Chinese market, up from six initially.
Over 8,000 hectares of banana fields
Currently, Cambodia has 15 registered banana plantations, partly supported by Chinese investment, covering more than 8,000 hectares. The three largest banana farms are located in the provinces of Ratanakiri and Kratie in the northeast and Kampot in the south, with a total area of nearly 5,000 hectares. Recently, a private agricultural company invested in the cultivation of bananas and fruits in the Anlongwen district in the north of the country.
The harvested bananas are processed by 21 packing houses, which the ministry said has greatly improved the processing capacity, yield, export pattern and competitiveness of Cambodia’s banana crop.
