January 09, 2024 | The Phnom Penh Post|
Cambodia exported 17,000 tonnes of fresh Pailin longans to China in 2023, marking a significant 454% increase compared to the previous year. Despite the growth in exports, the overall longan output in the country did not experience a significant increase, attributed to adverse weather conditions affecting product quality. Unfavorable factors included salty or acidic dew and water shortages in some cultivation areas. Suos Siyat, president of the Pailin Longan Agricultural Production Cooperative, explained that these challenges impacted the growth of longans and led to fluctuations in prices based on the fruit's quality and harvesting period. While Cambodia has a market for longans in China, the cultivation of the fruit has not seen significant expansion. Pailin province, a major longan-producing region, currently boasts nearly 4,000 hectares of cultivated and harvested land for longans, with fluctuations in prices based on quality and harvesting periods.