APD | Cambodia is waiting Chinese expert on SPS checking for banana export

By APD writer Kin Ratha

PHNOM PENH, March. 11 (APD) - As thousand tons of fresh banana exported indirectly to China, banana farms are waiting for checks and inspection made by Chinese experts. The waiting is made after inspection at banana farms have been concluded by Cambodian officials from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture said that the delegation of Chinese experts are expected to visit Cambodia for making checks over sanitary and phytosanitory at banana farms, to allowing exports directly to Chinese markets. 

“We are not sure the specific time when Chinese expert officials visit Cambodia for SPS check, but we hope they will come in soon.” “We are currently exporting to China via Vietnam because exporters don’t have certificates from Chinese side over export directly to Chinese markets,” an official said. 

“When Chinese experts make inspects over SPS, we then can export directly to China,” the official added.

So far, Cambodia has exported indirectly some 14,000 tons to China since the January, figures from the Agriculture Ministry showed. 

Cambodia and China sign on a protocol on sanitary and phytosanitory for exporting fresh banana to China in last August, and it is effectively from January this year. 

Cambodian official on SPS in November started to check and provide guidelines to banana farms to comply the SPS for eligible commodity export to China market. 

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)