According to The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon posted a statement on social media from Chinese-owned Green Sea Agriculture.It is said that the company has invested nearly 70 million US dollars (about 475 million yuan) to grow mangoes in Stung Treng province in northeastern Cambodia, and plans to export the fruit to the Chinese market.The company will also invest another 500 million US dollars (about 3.393 billion yuan) for the follow-up large-scale export business.
According to the statement, the mango plantation currently has a total area of 1,200 hectares, which is equivalent to 12% of the overall plan of Green Sea in Cambodia.The six mango varieties to be planted are Guifei, Tainong, Jinhuang, Keitt, Guire and R2E2, which were introduced from Taiwan, the United States and Australia, respectively.
Green Sea said it will export the mangoes to China through Vietnam, Thailand and the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville.
The company acknowledges that it has faced initial problems with transportation since the first harvest, but notes that it has introduced cold storage facilities that reduce production costs, addressing major issues.
Green Sea has applied to the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture for the registration of mango plantations, and obtained professional advice from Ministry of Agriculture officials on "planting techniques, harvesting, packaging, and especially how to meet phytosanitary requirements," the statement said.
Ong Sakhoun praised Green Sea's thorough research on the mango market, and pointed out that the selected mango varieties they focus on planting are different from Keo Romiet, the main variety in Cambodia, thus forming a differentiation.
“Cambodian farmers are rushing to grow the same mangoes without properly researching the market, while China Green Sea has done research on the market before deciding what mango varieties to plant. The company’s mango planting strategy is clear and coherent, and they have determined absolutely There will be no shortage of markets," he said.
Cambodian Mango Variety Update
Mong Reththy, chairman of the board of Cambodia's Mong Reththy Group, said he encouraged farmers to switch from Keo Romiet to other mango varieties such as Daffodil, Aiwen and Australia's R2E2 in order to remain competitive.In particular, Keo Romiet's profits have fallen recently due to rising costs of fertilizers, pesticides and fuel.
"We hope that when the epidemic improves, the price of mangoes will increase," he said.
The production capacity and marketability of some mango varieties such as R2E2, Jinhuang and Keitt are still being tested, said Hun Lak, chief executive of the country's RICHFARM ASIA.The company grows Keo Romiet and Taiwanese mangoes, but only exports the former, as the potential for large-scale exportation of Taiwanese mangoes is still being studied."We have been communicating with potential distributors in Europe and South Korea. If negotiations progress, we will expand the cultivation of other types of mangoes to meet market demand," he said.
Cambodia first exported fresh mangoes to the Chinese market in early May last year.At present, five companies have obtained export qualifications.
According to the report of the Cambodian General Administration of Agriculture, in the first quarter of 2022, the total export volume of Cambodian fresh mangoes was 81,418 tons, a decrease of 20.73%, and the export volume of dried mangoes was 5,136 tons, a decrease of 13.43%.
