The culture of drinking coffee in has caught on significantly in the Kingdom in recent years. POST STAFF
The Ministry of Commerce has invited coffee producers and entrepreneurs to participate in the “Restaurant Asia 2021” – an event set to be held in Singapore from November 18-20 – to promote their products and find business partners.
The Restaurant Association of Singapore, in partnership with Conference and Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd (CEMS), will organise the virtual and onsite event at Halls B and C of Marina Bay Sands Singapore Expo and Convention Centre, the ministry said in a June 22 statement.
The expo committee has allocated four 9sqm booths for Cambodian participants, one of which will be provided free of charge to the Kingdom’s embassy in Singapore to promote Cambodian culture and tourism products, it said.
The three other booths will be reserved for Cambodian coffee and restaurant businesses to promote coffee and kitchen products, and to find business partners, the ministry added.
According to the event’s official website: “Restaurant Asia 2021 [will be] held in conjunction with the International Coffee Tea Asia 2021, incorporating Cafe Asia 2021 and Sweets and Bakes Asia 2021.”
Park Cafe Food and Beverage Co Ltd general manager Heng Sengly said that while his restaurant chain would not attend the expo due to Covid-19, the event was sure to benefit those companies with a vision to expand their business network overseas.
“Given these circumstances, our shop does not want to send workers to this event, we only want to focus on the day-to-day. Participation is up to each company – this event will be good for those with a vision to present abroad and that are wanting to seek a partner in Singapore,” he said.
He noted that a dearth of investment remains a blight on the Cambodian coffee industry. “We’ve gathered that there’re a lot of coffee plantations in Mondulkiri province, but we’ve yet to see any large-scale factories that measure up to the standards,” he said.
Last year, the Kingdom exported just 2.2 tonnes of coffee worth $10,000 to Russia and South Africa, according to ministry statistics.
The ministry added that each booth at the event will cost S$5,220 (US$3,900), while virtual ones will go for S$1,500.
“This announcement is an invitation to coffee enterprises and processing plant owners, as well as kitchen-product manufacturers that are interested and intend to find suppliers on the Singapore or local market,” it said.
The culture of drinking coffee in Cambodia has caught on significantly in recent years, a trend that has spurred a surge in new drinkers, it added.
Ministry data shows that the Kingdom imported 770 tonnes of coffee worth $3.6 million in 2020, down from $4.1 million in 2019.
And according to the British Coffee Association, about two billion cups of coffee are consumed worldwide on a daily basis, and coffee beans have become one of the most sought-after products in the world, after crude oil.
