China buying frenzy bolsters fresh banana exports in 2021

China buying frenzy bolsters fresh banana exports in 2021

 

Cambodia exported 423,168.97 tonnes of fresh bananas last year, up by 27.02 per cent over 2020, valued at $4,323,719,300, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA).

Mainland China was by far the top buyer of fresh Cambodian bananas at 376,961.60 tonnes, followed by Vietnam (45,193.37 tonnes), Japan (533.52 tonnes) and Singapore (480.48 tonnes).

A comparison with an earlier GDA report indicates that over October-December, the Kingdom exported 79,356.6 tonnes of the fruit to mainland China (75,332.6 tonnes) and Vietnam (4,024.0 tonnes).

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon told The Post that the Chinese market is all too eager to buy up any fresh Cambodian bananas on offer.

Although there is considerable interest from investors in banana cultivation, the main dilemma now is that there tends to be shortage of water supply in the more favourable places to grow the fruit, he said.

“We’ve been seeking out suitable lands to grow bananas, to expand the cultivation area, which would allow us to export millions of tonnes to China someday,” Sakhon said.

Longmate Agriculture Co Ltd director Hun Lak told The Post that his company’s banana yields increased last year over 2020, although the total area under cultivation remained the same.

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Author: Hom Phanet

Source: The Phnom Penh Post

Publication date: 20 January 2022