The gray buildings in the background house thousands of swiftlets in Koh Kong province. Heng Chivoan
The Cambodian Swiftlet Nest Manufacturers and Exporters Association will hold an auction of edible bird’s nests at the end of February in order to help Swiftlet home preservation owners sell them and find partners or buyers, and facilitate the edible bird’s nest processing business.
Edible bird’s nests are made from the dried saliva of Southeast Asia’s white-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus).
According to the association’s announcement, the auction will take place on February 25 and will bring together all swiftlet nest producers, processing business owners and buyers in Cambodia.
Waso Chin, president of the association, said buyers will be able to get a supply of quality nests in a clear market setting through this auction.
Chin said the purpose of the auction is to make it easier for the swiftlet nest producers and the owner of the edible bird’s nests processing businesses to build a relationship in search of better markets as well as provide other business opportunities to participants.
“The bidding is also a kick-start for the Kingdom in creating opportunities to increase Cambodian edible bird’s nest products for export to the world market. I hope that this auction of edible bird’s nests will attract a lot of participants from the white-nest swiftlet farming homes, processing business owners and buyers, as well as those who want to find out more about the edible bird’s nest processing business as expected,” she said.
According to the association’s president, Cambodia currently has about 3,000 swiftlet nest producers across the country, exporting more than 100 tonnes of edible bird’s nests a year.
Tre Nemol, a swiftlet specialist who is well-versed in the intricacies of the Malaysian market, and is the founder of Swiftlet Cultivation Co Ltd, said that due to the increase in the number of breeders and processors, all business owners need to start thinking about export of edible bird’s nest products, especially to China.
“This auction is great news for swiftlet farmers in Cambodia. We hope that the upcoming auction will give swiftlet [farmers] opportunities to find partners, buyers and expand their market,” he said.
In July 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries set up a technical working group to negotiate the opening of the market for the export of edible bird’s nests to China, after observing the growth of the swiftlet farming industry.
The working group is responsible for preparing technical documents for negotiating the opening of the export market of edible bird’s nest products from Cambodia to China in collaboration with experienced local and foreign experts.
The working group must liaise with the General Administration of Customs of China to sign a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for the export of edible bird’s nest products, and to disseminate and introduce procedures like a registration system, as well as set requirements for businesses and the public wishing to export edible bird’s nest products to the Chinese market.
In addition, the Ministry of Commerce in October 2022 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cambodian Association of Private Trade Center in Xiamen, China for the export of edible bird’s nests to the Chinese market, which helped to pave the way for exports.
