First shipment of bananas to China confirmed

Longmate Agriculture Co has announced that it will conduct a test shipment of bananas to the Chinese…

Longmate Agriculture Co has announced that it will conduct a test shipment of bananas to the Chinese market next month, which will be followed by the company’s first official shipment to China in February.

The company, a joint venture of Chinese and local investors, plans to ship 30 containers next month as a test, said Hun Lak, the director.
Mr Lak said that they still have to secure a certificate from the Chinese government.

“In January or February, a delegation of Chinese experts is scheduled to visit our farm to inspect our plantations. If they are satisfied with what they see, they will issue a certificate that verifies that we meet the conditions to export to the Chinese market,” Mr Lak said.

“In January, we will send 30 containers of bananas to China as a test,” Mr Lak said, adding that he expects to receive the Chinese certificate as his farms follows all guidelines issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Cambodia and China reached a protocol on the exportation of bananas in August, effectively allowing Cambodia to ship the fruit to China. The agreement came after the two sides spent years negotiating on the issue.

Covering 1,000 hectares of land in Kampot province’s Chhouk district, the Longmate farm is capable of producing 30,000 tonnes of bananas a year, according to Mr Lak, who added that the company is also eyeing other foreign markets.