Snack exporter recovers after crunch
Snack exporter recovers after crunch
Ly Ly Food Industry Co Ltd, one of the Kingdom’s largest food processing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has recorded a gradual recovery in exports, after the Covid-19 crisis left the industry in doldrums.The company currently operates two factories in Por Sen Chey district’s Kakab commune in the capital. Its first plant began operations in May 2002.
Last year, it launched the $16.1 million Ly Ly Kameda Co Ltd, a joint venture with Japan-based Kameda Seika Co Ltd. It began producing rice crackers and other snacks in January.
Its CEO Keo Mom told The Post on Wednesday that orders from overseas clients have been gradually picking up since late last month.
She boasted that the company on average exports 30 containers per month, adding that one container had been shipped to the US on Tuesday and another to Malaysia last week.
“During the intense phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, our exports were down by 50 per cent but are now back to normal. Most people are stocking up on food products for their homes, so demand is increasing,” said Mom.
She said the two snack processing facilities have a total production capacity of 6,000 tonnes per annum. Currently, about 65 per cent of products are sold locally and 35 per cent are exported.
“We hope that after the end of the Covid-19 epidemic, there will be new markets for our company,” she said, adding that Ly Ly brand products are exported to Australia, the US, South Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand.
“The foreign market has provided a massive amount of support for our products, which are tasty, reasonably price and produced from bona-fide Pkha Romduol fragrant rice varieties, and can compete on the international market,” said Mom.
Chhea Layhy, the director of the General Department of Small and Medium Enterprises and Handicraft under the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, also noted the rebound of exports of food-related products in recent months.
“From what I can see, there really has been a boom in export activity in recent days, concurrent with steadily rising demand,” he said.
Last year, 51 SMEs formally registered, increasing the number of such enterprises in the Kingdom to 52,154, which employ a total of 824,245 workers, the ministry reported.
