Jointly with the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) from the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) Cambodia the GIZ SCSI Programme introduced export guidelines for mango, banana and longan on 27 March 2018 in Phnom Penh. The consultation workshop gathered participants from SMEs, business associations, and involved ministerial departments to give feedback on the content of the guidelines.
After a fact-finding mission in March 2017, GIZ SCSI initiated the compilation of export guidelines with their Cambodian partners. In close cooperation with GDA MAFF, SCSI commissioned two experts to issue the guidelines in Khmer. The fruits were jointly identified by Cambodian partners due to their export potential and considerations of sustainability.
The recent workshop was opened by the GIZ Country Director Cambodia and the General Director of GDA MAFF to emphasise the importance and opportunities of agricultural trade for Cambodia. SCSI presented on best practice approaches to private sector development in Vietnam followed by an introduction of the drafted export guidelines by the expert team. During intense group work, participants working within the banana, mango, and longan export sector gave their in-depth feedback and recommendations on the guidelines. Receiving a highly positive feedback overall on the guidelines, participants stated, among others, the need to clarify specific technical English terms in Khmer as well as including certain certification templates in the guidelines.
In combination with desk research, the expert team utilised a participatory approach through seeking input from all involved stakeholders before the workshop. The guidelines aim to improve Cambodian businesses to export agricultural goods to China and improve the public-private dialogue as well as political processes between Cambodia and China.