Huy Yun Agriculture Co Ltd, an organic fertiliser producer, is planning to expand daily production to as much as 100 tonnes per day to meet the growing demand of the domestic market.

The company was established in 2013 in Talak village, Ksem Ksan commune, Oudong district, Kampong Speu province.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon on June 26 visited the company’s production line for an inspection.

On the premises, Huy Yun Agriculture director told the minister that the fertiliser plant has a current daily production capacity of 20-30 tonnes.

He said a surge in demand had prompted the firm to look into expanding that to 50-100 tonnes.

“Most of the workers are locals who have ample experience in the organic fertiliser industry,” he said.

Sophat listed some of the raw materials used in the fertiliser as chicken, cattle and pig manure, cow bones, vegetable and fruit matter, marine fish waste, rice husks, bran, ash and limestone.

He also thanked the government for its continued support and encouragement for smaller fertiliser production businesses, especially its intervention in reducing electricity prices, which has substantially trimmed production costs.

Sakhon said the ministry would support the company in its expansion, thereby improving the ability of domestic supply to keep pace with the growing use of organic fertilisers witnessed in the Kingdom.

The expansion would also maintain or improve the quality of more agricultural land, leading to a reduction in risks associated with the use of agricultural chemical fertilisers or other public health risks, he said.

It would also decrease the import and use of chemical fertilisers, and likely encourage the use of locally produced raw materials wherever possible, he added.

“The Ministry of Health would like to support, and looks forward to providing additional cooperation in packaging and processing techniques and related legal procedures to help reduce environmental impacts, as well as boost competitiveness, inclusivity and climate change mitigation in line with government policy to develop a sustainable and prosperous agricultural sector,” Sakhon said.

The minister also called on development partners and the private sector to cooperate technically and financially to expand production productivity.

The company produced 2,507 tonnes of fertiliser last year and 1,035 tonnes in the first six months of this year, which includes prilled urea, liquid fertilisers and agricultural lime, according to Sophat.

He said one tonne of fertiliser sells for $250, plus shipping.

Cambodia spent $327.57 million on the import of agricultural fertilisers, insecticides and herbicides in 2020, up 1.25 per cent from $323.54 million in 2019, according to the Ministry of Commerce.