Cambodia obtained permission for the direct export of bananas to China in May this year. Since then, the export volume of Cambodian bananas has seen steady growth. Mr. Li Chengliang, CEO of Happy Land Agricultural Plantation, recently talked about the current conditions of Cambodian bananas in the Chinese market.
"Our banana plantation is located in Steung Treng Province, Cambodia. The peak period of the banana harvest takes place every year in June and July. We have already reached the final stage of the harvest season in November."
"The weather conditions in Cambodia have been excellent this year. Although there was no rain during the dry season, our plantation is located right next to the hydro-electric power plant on the Se Sang River. This guarantees sufficient water supply for our plantation throughout the year."
"The drought did not have a negative effect on our production. The product quality of our bananas is excellent. Our first bananas were harvested in May and since then our export volume steadily increased. We expect to export a total of 200 containers this month."
When asked about the market price of Cambodian bananas, Mr. Li answered, "the global banana prices are quite transparent. The prices are divided based on the product quality of the bananas. The price of top-quality bananas is quite high. The price of bananas from our plantation in Cambodia is usually 1 yuan [0.14 USD] per 0.5 kg higher than the price of Chinese bananas. The current price of Cambodian bananas exported to China is around 50 yuan [7.12 USD] per box (of 13 kg)."
"Our main markets in China are Beijing, Chongqing, Changsha, and Chengdu. We selected these markets because the population figures in those cities are high, which means that there is a great number of potential customers. Transport becomes more and more convenient. The bananas only take about half a month to reach their destination."
"We ship the bananas from Cambodia to China via sea freight. Only five banana plantations have been examined and approved since Cambodia obtained permission for direct export of bananas to China. Happy Land Agricultural Plantation in Steung Treng Province is one of them."
When asked about the conditions in Cambodian banana plantations, Mr. Li explained, "Cambodia has three banana harvests every two years. The banana plantations in Cambodia can supply bananas all year round. Many of the banana plantations around here are quite new. The soil is fertile and not destroyed by chemicals like some other plantations. Add to this the warm weather and the temperature difference between day and night, and the result is excellent product quality. The bananas are sweet and the fruit peel looks smooth."
Mr. Li also talked about the business opportunities and the competition in Cambodian banana export to China.
"The effort of both governments create amazing business opportunities in plantation and export, both through permission for direct export to the Chinese market and encouragement of Chinese investment in Cambodian banana plantations. The main focus of competition is in the training of personnel. Cambodia has a huge labor force, but the level of technology is low. The training for specialized plantation workers takes about 1-1.5 years."
Happy Land Agricultural Plantation covers an area of around 6,667 hectares. The surface area currently developed for the production of bananas, pineapples, and mangoes is around 533 hectares. The plantation also rents farmland to Chinese companies. Happy Land offers plantation services and distribution.
For more information:
Li Chengliang - CEO
Happy Land Agricultural Plantation
Tel.: +86 19187129257
WeChat ID: 19187129257