PAILIN: Sen Sokhoeun, a longan farmer here in western Cambodia, is confident in sales this season because direct exports to China have stabilised local prices and secured a reliable market.
In contrast to past years when peak-season prices plummeted, Cambodian fresh longan prices have stabilised since direct exports to China began in October 2022, securing steady profits for farmers, the 60-year-old farmer said.
Sokhoeun owns a 16-hectare longan orchard in Pailin province, which yields around 80 tonnes per year.
With the harvest starting next month, she no longer worries about finding a market because company representatives have already visited her farm to secure the fruit for export to China.
"During the harvest season, the longan community representatives purchase directly from our farms," she told Xinhua in a recent interview.
"As a farmer, I'm thrilled when our harvest sells easily and brings in high profits."
Sokhoeun noted that Cambodian farmers benefited greatly from China's large-quantity purchase of fresh longans at favorable prices.
"China's purchases give us the incentive to expand cultivation because our produce is easy to sell at a competitive price," she said.
Longan (Dimocarpus longan) is a tropical evergreen tree native to Asia. A member of the soapberry family, this tree produces sweet, white-fleshed edible fruit alongside relatives like lychee and rambutan.
Longan is among five Cambodian fresh fruits with direct access to the Chinese market, alongside yellow bananas, mangoes, coconuts, and durians.
Sa Chamroeun, a representative of China Jinkwoayuan Import Export (Cambodia) Co Ltd., which directly purchases fresh longans from farmers for exporting to China, said the company exported 18,000 tonnes of fresh longans to China last year, and planned to increase its annual export volume to 30,000 tonnes.
He said China's purchases have stabilized local market prices and increased farmers' incomes, adding that without the Chinese market, low prices would likely force farmers to cut down their longan trees and use them for firewood.
"Year after year, our farmers' livelihoods have significantly improved, with many now able to build proper houses and afford cars," he said.
Chamroeun said that Chinese consumers love Pailin longans for their sweet, crunchy, and dry flesh.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the Southeast Asian country cultivates more than 13,600 hectares of longans, mainly in Pailin, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey provinces, and the yield varies depending on crop maintenance. - Xinhua
