40 families of pepper growers form agri-community in Tbong Khmum
40 families of pepper growers form agri-community in Tbong Khmum
Forty families of pepper growers in Memot’s Tbong Khmum province have volunteered to form a modern agriculture community, said an official of the Agriculture Ministry.
Khim Finan, Under-Secretary of State and Spokesman for Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said on social media on Saturday that 40 families of pepper growers in Memot district, with an area of 62.5 hectares or more than 100,000 pepper poles, have volunteered to form a modern agriculture community.
“If the results of the Feasibility Study show that it is possible, we will soon have another modern agriculture community for pepper in Tbong Khmum province,” Finan said, adding, “Cambodia produces nearly 20,000 tonnes of pepper per year, mostly from Tbong Khmum province.”
If the pepper growers in this province join together as one big community, one force and one direction, Finan said that they all will be able to manage this potential crop by effectively on the economy, manage both price and market, as well as be able to process and export from Cambodia on its own and competitively without having to rely on other countries.
He said, “We are currently focusing on four strategic crops for the modern agriculture community including rice, vegetables, cashews and pepper, as it is the first year and has high potential and a clear value chain. Next year we will expand to more crops.”
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Dith Tina, said last week that participation in the modern agriculture community will help farmers earn more profit through specific production planning and direct connection to the market.
“Joining modern farming communities will help farmers to get more profit through specific production planning and direct connection to market. Not only that, the farmers will receive support for various infrastructures, such as net houses and proper irrigation systems in order to minimize costs,” Tina said.
So far only the Neang Am community has officially become a modern agricultural community in Siem Reap province.
According to the report of General Department of Customs and Excise of Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia’s pepper exports worth nearly $23 million for the first five month of 2024, increased more 240 percent compared to the same period last year.
Cambodia exported 30 tonnes of black pepper to Qingdao, China, between April 10-20 this year.
China, its biggest trading partner of pepper.
Since the Chinese Embassy announced the move to buy pepper from Cambodia on May 12 last year, it took almost a year of hard work to make it happen. Export of pepper to China is expected to help the sector in a great way, especially the farmers.
