Cambodia and China Discuss Fish Exports
Cambodia and China are in talks to export 12 types of fisheries products to China, including fish, snails, eels and freshwater prawns. Photo: Shrimp, Lobster, Fish and Eel Farm / Facebook
- By Chhum Chantha
- July 20, 2023 4:14 PM
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia and China are in talks to export 12 types of fisheries products to China, including fish, snails, eels and freshwater prawns.
Lemphor Suthavaridh Sothavarith, chairman of the executive committee of the Cambodia Aquaculturist Association, said China had recently appointed a representative from Alibaba to meet association and officials of the Entrepreneurship Development Fund of the Ministry of Economy and Finance to find entrepreneurs who want to produce or process fishery products for export to China.
Battambang, Pursat, Banteay Meanchey and Pailin provinces were discussed in terms of geography, biology and raising techniques for production and processing.
Sothavarith said that the Chinese only want fishery products that their country cannot produce, such as frecklefin eels, eels and snails. However, this type of fishery has few farmers, so Cambodia needs a year or two to build a group of producers and other techniques to meet the demand because these 12 fisheries are not yet large businesses.
Currently, Cambodia does not have the fishery products that China needs. If we agree on the discussion, it will take another year or two to export because we need to mobilize members to raise the fishery to meet the demand, he said.
He said exporting to China is not easy. Fishery products must meet technical standards and conditions. The Cambodia Aquaculturist Association called for joint investment between Cambodia and China to avoid complications.
“I urge joint investment between China and Cambodia so that it can move forward quickly. This means that in Cambodia we have aquaculturists, natural resources, land and water. China is helping with technology and stock so it can move forward quickly," he said.
The export of the first spot pangasius to China failed due to a lack of technical support, especially in freezers.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this story was translated by Te Chhaysinh for Cambodianess.
