PHNOM PENH: Cambodia expects to export around 500,000 tons of bananas to China in 2022, according to a press conference by the Cambodian Banana Association Alliance.

The alliance currently has 37 members, including fruit growers, suppliers, and firms in charge of providing fertilizer, storage, logistics and transport.

The Vice President of the Cambodia-China Chamber of Commerce and General Manager of China Inspection and Quarantine Cambodia Company, Chen Qisheng, praised the banana association alliance for their hard work to promote Cambodia's banana export.

Bananas were the first Cambodian fruit exported to the Chinese market. Cambodia began exporting bananas to China in May 2019.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia exported 218,000 tons of bananas to China in the first half of 2022. The current export momentum indicates that Cambodia is expected to export about 500,000 tons of the fruit to the Chinese market by the end of this year.

Cambodia is also set to begin exporting longan fruit to the Chinese market following a long process of inspections and quality checks. In July, two foreign companies, China Jinan Engineering Import Export (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. and CP Cambodia Co., Ltd. (from Thailand), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodian farmers from four provinces, including Pailin, to begin exporting longan this year.

According to the General Department of Agriculture, there are about 8,000 hectares of longan plantation in Pailin province. The fruit is mostly cultivated in provinces such as Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Pursat.