A worker ties up durians at a plantation in Kampong Cham province. - Photo: Supplied
PHNOM PENH: Cambodia can now officially export fresh durians to the Chinese market.
On Friday (July 4) evening, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that final permission had been granted by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), in accordance with a protocol signed by both parties on April 17.
“The decision was made after the GACC evaluated and approved the registration applications of 112 durian plantations and 30 packing facilities, which met the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards, phytosanitary requirements and Chinese food safety standards,” explained a ministry statement.
The ministry advised growers and other stakeholders to ensure the quality and sustainability of export fruit, and called on all farm owners and packing facility operators to comply with the protocol’s conditions — free from harmful contaminants, pesticide residues or banned chemicals.
It encouraged other farm and packing facility owners who wish to export durian to submit registration applications to the ministry’s General Directorate of Agriculture.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, durian is the ninth Cambodian agricultural product which is licensed for export to China. It follows rice, broken rice, dried cassava chips, corn, bananas, mangoes, longans, and peppers.
“This is a fruitful achievement born from the strong cooperation between Cambodia and China,” added the agriculture ministry. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
