A more direct path for mango exports
Sweet and juicy mangoes grown in Cambodia have been finding their way into top Asian markets for years, but until now only through Thai and Vietnamese brokers, and often repackaged or processed into juices and jams to disguise their Khmer origin. Local producers’ lack of modern processing and packaging equipment meant the only way to access the lucrative Chinese, Japanese and South Korean markets – where the value of Cambodian-grown mangoes can jump by 6,000 percent – was indirectly through middlemen, who raked off most of the profit. But a number of companies are looking to change this supply chain model, and investing accordingly. A local subsidiary of Hyundai Corporation, the South Korean conglomerate best known for producing cars and SUVs, is sinking $4 million into developing a processing and distribution centre in Cambodia for mangoes and other fruits. Last November, Hyundai CNF Inc inked a deal with local mango producer Mao Legacy Co Ltd to establish the facility in Kampong Speu province.
