The four companies are building hot water treatment (HWT) and vapour heat treatment (VHT) facilities to sterilise their crops and exterminate pests. VENG SAKHON
At least four companies are set to complete the construction of infrastructure and phytosanitary treatment facilities for mangoes by the end of the year.
This comes in response to the Chinese government’s June 9 official approval of the export of 500,000 tonnes of Cambodian fresh mangoes per year to the country.
As part of the agreement, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that day signed the protocol on “Phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh Keo Romiet mangoes from Cambodia to the People’s Republic of China”.
The four companies are building hot water treatment (HWT) and vapour heat treatment (VHT) facilities to sterilise their crops and exterminate pests, minister Veng Sakhon said, citing a report by the General Directorate of Agriculture.
Boeung Ket Fresh Fruit Co Ltd, Long Wo Agriculture (Cambodia) Co Ltd and Al Jazeelan Food Pte Ltd (of Hun Ty Co Ltd) are installing HWT plants, while Bamin Agriculture Hi-Tech Development Co Ltd opted instead for VHT machinery, he said.
He said the directorate was stalwart in implementing the protocol and ensuring that the phytosanitary requirements set by the Chinese side were met.
He noted that it had inspected a packaging location and a number farms with the potential for exports.
“With its work cut out for it, the General Directorate of Agriculture will continue to organise dissemination seminars and provide technical training for companies, plantation owners, farms, agricultural communities and stakeholders who have applied for the registration of mango plantations,” Sakhon said.
Mao Sothea, sales manager of Kirirom Food Product Co Ltd, one of the nearly 50 companies that have been approved by the ministry to export fresh mangoes to China, told The Post that added investment in phytosanitary treatment equipment will put the Kingdom a step closer to filling the 500,000 tonne annual quota on fresh mangoes set by the Chinese.
She said: “They will help buy Cambodian agricultural products, especially fresh mangoes, so our farmers are able to sell at higher prices and retain a strong market, and it will also help buoy our fresh mango export volume.”
Hun Ty says it will be ready to ship between 1,500 and 8,400 tonnes of fresh mangoes to China daily, following three trial exports via Vietnam, as reported by the ministry on December 4.
The ministry said the company shipped 29.85 tonnes on December 1, 28.8 tonnes on December 2 and an undisclosed amount on December 4 to China.
As of December 14, the directorate had received 48 applications for the registration of mango plantations on a total 28,345.70ha and packaging sites from companies, plantation owners and agricultural communities, its data show.
Cambodia has 124,319ha of mango plantations, of which 91,398ha are harvested with an average yield of 15.85 tonnes per hectare per season.
The Kingdom exported $44.57 million worth of mango products last year, including fresh and dried mango, mango syrup and pickled mango, the directorate’s figures show.
