First banana shipment to China on the way

Cambodia yesterday began the process of sending its first shipment of bananas to the Chinese market, after five local companies were greenlighted by the Chinese government last month.

During a ceremony attended by Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon, 100 tonnes of bananas were stored at a warehouse in Phnom Penh, ready to the shipped to the Chinese market.

No official date has been given as to when the shipment will take place.

The bananas belong to all five companies that were granted permission to ship the fruit by the Chinese government – Longmate Agriculture, Long Sreng Hua Jian Agriculture Development, Green Island Agriculture Development, Sovann Reachsey, and Grand Land Agriculture Development.

Banana will become only one of a handful products Cambodian companies export to the Chinese market. Other include milled rice, dried cassava and processed rubber.

The movement follows the signing of a protocol on the exportation of bananas in August between China and Cambodia, an agreement that effectively allows Cambodia to ship the fruit to China.

Minister Sakhon said at yesterday’s ceremony the bananas will be shipped from Sihanoukville Autonomous Port directly to Shanghai.

Cambodian yellow bananas will sell very well overseas, helping the country expand its exports, the minister said.

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