Well-grown banana trees that densely populate a 600-hectare orchard located in a remote village, over 160 kilometres from Phnom Penh, have become the latest symbol of bolstering ties between Cambodia and China.
The plantation along with a processing unit was established by one of the leading Chinese fruits and vegetables firms Dize Nong Ye Fazhan Company Limited on a leased property in Village No 35, Arak Tnaot Commune in Stueng Trang District in Kampong Cham Province two years ago.
Company sources say it would create around 1,200 new jobs for locals, especially when the Cambodian economy was hit hard by the pandemic, contributing consistent job opportunities and steady income to the villagers.
“My monthly income almost doubled after obtaining this job,” Leang Kheng, who works within the packaging division of the banana processing plant told journalists from Cambodian and Chinese media firms, during a media tour organised by the People’s Daily China.
“I was earlier earning $150 a month. After getting this job, it doubled to $300 and I am really overwhelmed. We are thankful to the Chinese company for providing this great opportunity.”
Wu Fuxiang, one of the block managers, said the farm exports 2,000 containers each year to China. “One container is 20 tonnes and you can see that the number is huge. Cambodian banana has high market demand in China, where it is a huge hit.”
Various surveys reveal that 600 containers of bananas are consumed in China every day. “More imports will be required in the future and Cambodia can explore this great opportunity.”
The plantation is divided into two blocks of 300 hectares each and has a network of roads, linking all of its segments to the processing unit, which is equipped with state-of-the-art machineries for processing and packaging.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
