The Kingdom exported 3,959 tonnes of pepper this year as of September 11. Photo supplied
Cambodia exported more than three million tonnes of agricultural products to international markets as of mid-September, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported.
Its data show that as of September 11, Cambodia has exported a large number of finished agricultural products, including milled rice, cassava, pepper, rubber, fresh mangoes, cashews, bananas, corn, soybeans, vegetables and tobacco.
Milled-rice exports were 463,805 tonnes, fresh cassava, dried cassava chips and tapioca starch reached more than 1.7 tonnes, cashew nuts (202,207 tonnes), fresh yellow bananas (213,486 tonnes), fresh mangoes and its dehydrated products (56,590 tonnes), pepper (3,959 tonnes), palm oil (41,970 tonnes), tobacco (5,376 tonnes) and soybeans (3,876 tonnes).
The Kingdom shipped 193,660 tonnes of corn, vegetables (84 tonnes), sweet potatoes (2,865 tonnes), fresh and dried chilli peppers (52,621 tonnes), pomelos (15,150 tonnes) and other products (55,420 tonnes).
Cambodia’s agricultural products are exported to Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Pakistan, Russia, France, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, the US, Britain, Belarus, New Zealand, Sweden and Hungary, the ministry said.
Suon Sophal, a red corn farmer on more than 2ha, said that the first harvest was completed with a yield of between eight and 10 tonnes, but he estimated that the second harvest will be lower because of drought and pests.
The 53-year-old farmer, who lives in Tbong Khmum district, Tbong Khmum province, said red corn was bought from farmers by traders and resold to traders from Thailand and Vietnam.
“The price of red corn this year is similar to last year, between 750 riel and 800 riel [$0.18 and $0.20] per kg,” he said.
Every year, red corn is harvested twice – from late June to August and from late October to February.
Sebastien Lesieur, CEO of Farm Link Ltd, a pepper grower and exporter, told The Post last month that his company had exported about 10 tonnes of GI Kampot pepper in seven months at the beginning of 2020, the main markets for Kampot pepper products are the EU, including Spain, France and Germany.
Minister Veng Sakhon said the government is striving to boost local food production to reduce food imports during the Covid-19 epidemic.
Sakhon said Cambodia exported $1.5 billion worth of agricultural products to international markets last year, up from nearly $1 billion in 2013.
Cambodia’s milled-rice exports increased from $63,000 in 2010 to $440 million last year.
Ministry data showed that the Kingdom exported 61 different agricultural products to 59 countries.
