The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese firm Cambodia (Xiamen) Commercial Centre to boost exports of swiftlet nests to China.
The MoU was signed by Kao Kosal, Director General of General Directorate of Trade Promotion of MoC, and Zeng Youmin, Director of Cambodia (Xiamen), according to an MoC release.
The signing ceremony, organised by MoC, was presided over by Chhuon Dara, Secretary of State at MoC.
Kosal said the main activities of collaboration include seeking partners in the production and supply of swiftlet nest products and encouraging the development of factories processing swiftlet saliva.
The MoU looks at promoting gateway openings for trading swiftlet nest products between Cambodia and China and enhancing business networks through organising trade events such as business forums, business matching and participation in trade exhibitions.
Dara, who is also the Minister attached to the Prime Minister, said the Cambodia trading sector has been progressively developed by encouraging and supporting private sector, SMEs and development partners to invest in processing facilities to assure the sustainability of domestic production, stability of markets, quality, hygiene standards and safety.
“At the end of the event, his excellency [Chhuon Dara] strongly hoped that a big quantity of swiftlet nest products would be able to be exported to China,” the release pointed out.
Youmin, Director of Cambodia (Xiamen), said, “The general directorate of trade promotion and the centre have been working together in reviewing the MoU comprehensively until it was signed today,” he said.
In 2020, there were 872 houses of swiftlets capable of producing between one and 1.5 tons per month, while newly-collected nests of swiftlets could be sold at $700-$900 per kilogram and eatable nests at $1,500-$2,000 per kilogram, according to a GDA report.
Veng Sakhon, former MAFF minister, in early August this year, signed another MoU with Cambodia (Xiamen) regarding the exports of Cambodian swiftlet raisers to China.
Hean Vanhan, secretary of state, MAFF, told Khmer Times that China is the world’s biggest market for bird nest products as they are among the favourite food for Chinese people, while the domestic market seems to be much smaller and producers have not been able to export their products yet.
“The government just paved the way for the private sector to expand markets and they have to strengthen capacity and prove to the assessors from importing countries that they have trusted products and followed regulations, principles, rules and standards such as hygiene and packaging,” Vanhan said.
According to Cambodia (Xiamen), the company will build a factory to process swiftlet saliva in Cambodia shortly.
The minister also appealed to local swiftlet raisers to work with officials of the General Department of Agriculture (GDA) of MAFF in terms of standards of exports, especially hygiene and phytosanitary.
In another development, a Cambodian trade delegation recently discussed possibilities of business partnership with officials of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia and representatives of birds nest business associations.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
