Kingdom, China expand agricultural trade cooperation

Kingdom, China expand agricultural trade cooperation

Growing demand for agricultural products across China can create opportunities for Cambodian farmers as the two countries agree to further expand agri-trade cooperation.

Cambodia and China have taken a significant step towards further expanding and strengthening agricultural trade cooperation with a renewed focus on opening fresh market opportunities for Cambodian farmers including those who sell swiftlet nests.

The development comes as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) took part in the ‘Second Conference on Import and Export: Food Safety Cooperation Mechanism under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’ held in Shanghai, China, last week.

The mechanism, coordinated by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, involves strengthening food safety norms and standards across the participating countries. It aims to promote wider access to safe agricultural markets in line with international standards.

As part of the initiative, Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, held talks with Sun Meijun, head of the China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC). Tina also held a meeting with Zhao Zenglian, Vice Minister of the GACC.

“The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation within the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) framework between the two countries—aiming to further accelerate the opening of the Chinese market to Cambodian agricultural products and simplify export procedures to China in line with the expectations of Cambodian farmers and the private sector,” a press statement issued by the MAFF on Thursday said.

The MAFF highlighted that both sides agreed to expedite the preparation of SPS protocols and necessary procedures to facilitate the entry of additional Cambodian agricultural products into the Chinese market. They include brown rice, pineapple, jackfruit, frozen durian, longan, cooked meat, swiftlet nests, and animal feed.

The two sides have also established a joint working group to ensure direct communication between relevant institutions of both countries, aiming to resolve any potential obstacles in a timely and effective manner.

In addition, the two sides are promoting registration procedures with the GACC to enable the entry of agricultural products from small-scale farms across the country into the Chinese markets, provided these farms comply with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards.

The MAFF stated that these achievements mark another significant step in expanding and strengthening agricultural trade cooperation alongside creating smoother and more effective export opportunities for Cambodian farmers.

The ministry also encouraged farmers and the private sector to continue applying Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in processing, packaging, storage, and transportation, in order to maintain food quality and safety. It further urged compliance with the importing countries’ procedures to enhance the competitiveness of Cambodia’s agri-food products in global market.

Speaking to Khmer Times on Sunday, Suy Kokthean, President of the Khmer Swiftlet Association (KSA), said that the situation of edible bird’s nest exports looks promising, with the Chinese side working closely with the MAFF to promote speedy exports.

Kokthean noted, however, that the market price of edible bird’s nests has slightly declined, particularly for lower-grade products, while the price of high-grade nests has seen only a minor decrease.

“According to the information I have gathered, the MAFF has recently prepared a list of six companies to be forwarded to Chinese customs for approval to directly export edible bird’s nests.

However, we have not yet received detailed updates on the progress.” Based on a China Daily report, in the first three quarters of this year, China’s food trade with partner countries and regions involved in the BRI reached 915.24 billion yuan ($128.45 billion), up 2.5 percent year-on-year.

khmertimeskh