Cambodia exported more than 1.8 million tonnes of cassava products in the first four months of this year, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The exported products include 1,371,590 tonnes of dried cassava, 411,700 tonnes of fresh cassava, 32,496 tonnes of cassava flour and 6,589 tonnes of cassava waste.
The ministry said the prices of cassava products also increased between 20 and 50 riels per kilogram during the period.
Chhim Vachira, director of the Provincial Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department in Battambang province, told Khmer Times, “The cassava price is better than last year as it rose between 20 and 50 riels per kilogram. The price of dried cassava rose by 270 riels per kilogram while that of fresh cassava surged by 780-800 riels per kilogram in the first four months of this year.”
He pointed out that the Battambang province exported 70% of cassava products to Thailand.
“We have support from International Organisation for Agriculture and IFAD and we have a five-year policy in each province for crop growth. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Commerce have also prepared a national policy on cassava development,” he said.
“Our institution also provides technical training for efficient cultivation. We cooperate with JICA, Royal University of Agriculture for technical training. As per our investigation, the corn planting has decreased from 120,000 hectares to only 80,000 hectares by 2022 as farmers turned their attention to cassava for a better market,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Vietnam and Thailand have been Cambodia’s main export markets for cassava, especially dried and fresh cassava. Cassava flour is popular in the US, the Netherlands and Italy. Recently, China has also emerged as an important export market for the country’s cassava exports.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
