Saturday, September 19, 2009

More chopsticks for Japan ... and more deforestation for Cambodia? Arigato, but NO arigato! (i.e., Thanks, but NO thanks!)

Cambodia firm to export chopsticks

Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009

PHNOM PENH (Kyodo) - Green Field Cambodia Co. plans to export chopsticks to Japan early next year to meet rising demand in the Japanese market, a company representative said Friday.

Chan Sophal, president of the company, said he signed an agreement Tuesday with Hashiya Co. of Japan to export chopsticks to Japan beginning early next year.

Sophal said a five-hectare factory in Kompong Speu Province, about 120 km west of Phnom Penh, will produce the chopsticks.

The plant will turn out as much as 100,000 pairs of wooden chopsticks a day. They are produced from bamboo, rubber trees, palm trees and acacias. The products will be exported by Hashiya.

San Phiruna, director of multilateral relations department of the Commerce Ministry, said Cambodia is reviewing other possible Cambodian exports to Japan.

The Japanese market will be Cambodia's "next destination" because Japan has given Cambodia duty-free and quota-free export status, he said.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

hey, please be careful not to cut down khmer sugar palm trees, ok! i think it is ok to make chopsticks for exports as cambodia needed diversification of our export, etc., however, just make sure if they cut down a tree they must replant more trees to replace them. also, understand that khmer sugar palm tree takes a long time to grow tall and produce flower nectares and fruits, etc... so, please study and think smartly about all of this. that's all. that said though, don't get discourage, just make sure to help to replant more trees and only cut some at a certain designated location or zone or region, but don't just cut trees for chopstick to the point of destruction in cambodia. that's all!