According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia exported 203,485 tons of seven major cash crops last month. The ministry lists these as milled rice, natural rubber, corn, cashew nuts, peppercorn, as well as fresh bananas, chillies and mangoes.
Cambodia sold 40,956 tons of fresh bananas, 16,252 tons of fresh chillies, 11,637 tons of fresh mangoes and 3,183 tons of cashews.
In Lai Huot, owner of the Madam Huot cashew nut processing cottage industry in southwestern Kampong Thom province’s Kampong Svay district, told that her business was ploughing on to fulfil Top Planning Japan Co Ltd’s 15-ton order of finished product. She said Madam Huot launched its first cashew processing plant late in December, investing $200,000 in a joint venture with the Japanese company.
“We’ve been on the trot processing cashew nuts to supply the company on time as spelled out in the contract, which is to kick in from February. We’re pretty stoked that the Japanese firm has committed to buy finished cashew nuts from us and export them to its market,” Lay Huot said.
Recent adverse weather conditions has pushed the harvest season to mid-March, she said, adding that the nuts had only just begun to sprout at most plantations.
Cambodian Pepper and Spices Federation president Mak Ny told The Post that the price of peppercorn without geographical indication (GI) status had registered a 25 per cent year-on-year rise. He said prices of the fruit has seen a rebound on the back of muted production in Vietnam and dwindling global stockpiles, which has ratcheted up demand for peppercorn.
