According to a report by The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries reported that in the first quarter of this year, Cambodia exported a total of 103,627 tons of fresh bananas, down 13.46% from the same period last year.China and Vietnam imported 98,530 tonnes and 5,596.58 tonnes respectively during this period.
Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ong Sakhun said that the main reason for the decline in exports is the new restrictions imposed by China on Cambodian bananas.
He pointed out that among the Cambodian bananas arriving in China, at least one shipment tested positive for nucleic acid, so China imposed trade restrictions.
Ong Sakhun added that since then, Cambodia's agriculture ministry and exporters have been more vigilant.China's border ports have also implemented more detailed inspections and issued a series of recommendations on pre-shipment packaging.
He said that the epidemic crisis has hit the freight industry, especially the shipping industry, so that the cost of refrigerated containers shipped to China has soared from an average price of US$2,500 (about 15,900 yuan) before the epidemic to the current US$7,000 (about 4.45 million yuan). million).
"Uncertainty about future profits has led many companies to abandon the business and refuse to export again," he said.In addition, exports of other fresh fruits such as mangoes have been disrupted by similar problems.
Hun Lak, a senior Cambodian agricultural expert, also said that the Russian-Ukrainian dispute has led to high international oil prices in the past few weeks, which is one of the reasons for the rise in freight rates and also makes chartering more difficult.
The latest wave of outbreaks in China disrupted Cambodian agricultural exports to China, especially fresh bananas.Ong Sakhun added that stricter inspection measures have caused congestion at border crossings, resulting in a large number of containers being stranded, especially along the China-Vietnam border.
He speculates that as the Chinese fruit harvest season approaches next month, China may reduce imports for some time to come, adding to the headwinds for Cambodian fresh banana exports.
