Phnom Penh: Safety standards for Cambodia’s agricultural products are being negotiated with China to boost exports. The issue was discussed during Tuesday’s 7th ASEAN-China ministerial meeting on what’s known as phytosanitary cooperation, which essential deals with pest control. Cambodia was represented at Tuesday’s meeting by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Veng Sakhon, who co-chaired the meeting with China’s Deputy Minister of Customs, Wang Lingjun.

This group of ministers meet every two years to discuss agricultural trade between China and the ASEAN bloc. By the time the next meeting is held in 2023, Cambodia’s agricultural exports with China, particularly, should be booming. Currently, Cambodia exports milled rice, fresh bananas, dried cassava slices and fresh mangoes to China. Other products listed as potentials include longan and durian, but it is mango exports that are already on the rise.

They were up 251% year-on-year over the first eight months of 2021. Almost 164-thousand tonnes were shipped between January and August. Over the same time, the Kingdom exported just over 14-thousand tonnes of mango jam and over 4,000 tonnes of mango syrup. China is already among the main markets, having approved imports of Cambodian mangoes earlier this year. With pest control standards now being negotiated with China for other fruits, it would seem Cambodia’s farmers have it all to look forward to.