By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer Original report from Phnom Penh
12 March 2008
Improved techniques that have led to increased mango yields are driving market prices down, and vendors said ahead of mango season they were struggling to make a profit.
Mango growers have been able to produce two or three seasons' worth of mangos in a single year, and that has raised the number of mangos in the markets over the past few years.
Heng Hun, 53, has more than 400 mango trees on a one-hectare farm in Kandal province.
"We are very worried, because we have spent a lot of time to grow and protect our mangos, but if there's no market, we will not have income and will end up living in hard conditions," he said.
Cambodia still lacks the means to export mangos abroad to alleviate the influx on local markets, which drives prices down, officials said.
"Now it is true that there are a lot of mangos, because this is the season of mangos," said Hean Van Horn, deputy director of the Department of Agronomy in the Ministry of Agriculture. "But for the reason why the price of mango is decreasing, the ministry is studying the problem, and we are trying to find a way to export mangos abroad, especially to markets in Japan and Korea, where they import all their mangos from Asia."
Mango growers have been able to produce two or three seasons' worth of mangos in a single year, and that has raised the number of mangos in the markets over the past few years.
Heng Hun, 53, has more than 400 mango trees on a one-hectare farm in Kandal province.
"We are very worried, because we have spent a lot of time to grow and protect our mangos, but if there's no market, we will not have income and will end up living in hard conditions," he said.
Cambodia still lacks the means to export mangos abroad to alleviate the influx on local markets, which drives prices down, officials said.
"Now it is true that there are a lot of mangos, because this is the season of mangos," said Hean Van Horn, deputy director of the Department of Agronomy in the Ministry of Agriculture. "But for the reason why the price of mango is decreasing, the ministry is studying the problem, and we are trying to find a way to export mangos abroad, especially to markets in Japan and Korea, where they import all their mangos from Asia."
9 comments:
actually, over supply of farm product is good. i think someone ought to help cambodia farmers or growers to export their produce, etc overseas to the USA, EU, Japan, Australia, etc as there are huge market for them. i see right now thailand food stuff are overwhelmingly exported to the USA, so i think cambodia should find an expert to help in this export business as well. it's just a matter of finding the market for their stuff, and it is do able; just look at thailand, they've been exporting their food stuff for a long time to the USA without any competition. so i think it should change now! look for market overseas, guys. it is do able, just find the niche as there are many asian market in the USA, EU, Australia and Japan. i strongly encourage Khmer to do the same like the thai.
It's the government's job to connect and network these merchants. Cambodian entrepreneurs are too small to venture out on their own. In a lot of countries, of course Cambodia in exception, their governments try hard to incubate these home grown companies to get bigger by way of subsidizing. Once they are bigger they are able to provide more jobs to the local people . When these people are working, they tend to cause less problems in society and at the same time paying taxes back to the government. Will Cambodia government see these or not is another story... If I were the government I would allocate special funds to help these budding companies to expand. Once they expand. The Cambodian government must think ahead about what will stimulate the country's prosperity.
Closing the gap between the rich and the poor will also help stimulate the economy. Because now more, not just a few rich ones, can buy goods and services...
"Once they expand, the economy will also expand"
3:31Am
i think someone ought to help cambodia farmers or growers to export their produce, etc overseas to the USA, EU, Japan, Australia, etc as there are huge market for them.
Can't see as a niche for Cambodian mangoes in Australia, they have grown their own at the top end [Darwin].
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Might have to look into investing in end products such as confectionery or dried fruit.
There are a lot of good entrepreneur around who can help us exporting our products, but because we have racist issue, they don't want to come to Cambodia. Thus, we need to get rid of Xam Rainy and Company who perpetually promote racism in Cambodia.
Wrong, you Viet/Yuon troller @5:23AM...
It has nothing to do with Sam Raingsy. You're the one that is racist because you Viet/Yuon troller is pretending to be Khmer and speaking for Khmer to destroy Khmer... Your allegation and your smear campaign to destroy khmer is just a broken record. The world knows it already. So don't waste your time.
The question is rather - will the freaking Vietnam be letting the Viet-controlled government of HUN SEN economy be prospering independently of Vietnam, without Vietnam capitalizing on it?
The answer is NEVER. The blood sucker Viet will not rest until Khmer is gone off of the map of the world.
You Viet/Yuon troller must remember one thing: the world knows it already, and you Viet/Yuon troller will not get away with it.
Passer-by
Agree with you 06:46. The peoples who say that Sam Rainsy is racist must be the yuons who are not the original habitants of cambodia. Cambodia belongs to khmers. Do we claim the Haiphong land? Or the Along Bay, lands of the yuons?!! NO !!!! So back to your mountains or your caves and don't bother us with your stupid comments 05:23AM.
By the way if you can get off of our Kampuchea Krom and Mekong Delta region, we will send you some mangos into your caves where you come from...
Guys, don't you ever listen to Xam Rainsy speech. He usually mentioned Europe this and that, and Yuon this and that. That is all. He can't go beyond that.
Enjoy the plentiful & stop complaining! As long as people buy, you will make money. Let the trees release their fruits and have a ball!
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