PHNOM PENH, May 13 — There is one season many Cambodians eagerly await for each year — mango season, when the trees bear the golden-fragrant fruit under the tropical heat.
Across the country, mango lovers savour the sweet taste of a harvest deeply woven into everyday Cambodian culinary heritage.
From fresh, juicy mangoes to dried mangoes and mango salad, these treats remain popular among Cambodians during all seasons.
Local mango growers are capitalising on the roaring demand for the tropical fruit and trying to ride on the swelling billion-dollar global market, which could help transform the domestic agricultural sector.
“Many farmers are now growing mangoes across the country and more factories are involved in processing activities. There are about 15 factories involved in processing mangoes.
“There is strong interest from local and foreign buyers for Cambodian mangoes, a good indicator for our industry,” Cambodia Mango Development Federation Leng Sokly told Bernama.
The Kingdom, blessed with a subtropical climate and fertile soil of the Mekong plain, allows a year-round cultivation of the fruit.
The peak season, however, falls between February and June, when farmers gear up for exports.
About 15 varieties are planted in the Kingdom, but the king of the crop is the golden-yellow Keo Romeat variety, known for its milky sweetness and a hint of sourness, which dominates 80 per cent of production.
Cambodia produced about 2.25 million metric tonnes of fresh mango last year.
Growers exported about 245,000 metric tonnes worth about US$115 million (RM452 million) in the first 10 months of last year, said Cambodia’s Commerce Ministry.
Last year’s strategic partnership with Laos to export mangoes for re-export to China and other markets through Vientiane’s high-speed rail network is expected to further drive exports of Cambodian mangoes.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) described mango as “a strategic crop” in Cambodia, where the government is trying to diversify its farm sector.
“With an average yield of 15 tonnes per hectare, Cambodia’s mangoes are already competitive across Southeast Asia and hold significant potential for international markets,” said FAO in its country report last year.
FAO’s “One Country One Priority Product” project is certainly adding a fillip to the industry by strengthening the mango value chain, from seeds to sales.
The industry is blooming at the right moment. Global demand for fresh mangoes and processed mango products is soaring across continents.
Global mango production is estimated at roughly 60 million metric tonnes annually and the industry is worth nearly US$58 billion (RM228 billion) this year, according to industry experts.
India is the world’s top producer of mangoes with about 26 million metric tonnes, followed by Indonesia’s distant four million metric tonnes and China with production of about 3.9 million.
Popular varieties traded in the global markets are Alphonso, Kesar, Dasheri, Langra from India, Nam Dok Mai from Thailand, Pakistan’s Sindhri and Chaunsa. Mexico and Brazil produce the Atalufo, Tommy Atkins, and Keitt varieties.
In the Kingdom, despite its success, the sunrise industry is fraught with structural weaknesses.
Poor production planning, which leads to oversupply during peak seasons that wrecks prices, climate change hazards, lack of access to cold storage facilities and modern post-harvest systems, is troubling the infant industry.
“Farmers need to be educated on proper crop management and production. We still lack farm technology and need to improve logistics and the supply chain, such as warehousing facilities. The industry needs to innovate to move forward,” said Sokly.
