A ripe market for avocados
Avocados have never been a big part of the Khmer diet, making infrequent appearances in dessert dishes or drenched in condensed milk as a smoothie. But a small local market for the green pear-shaped fruit is forming, and experts say it could be a profitable crop for intrepid farmers. Lor Reaksmey, spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture, said avocados were previously imported in small quantities from Vietnam, but in recent years farmers in mountainous northeastern Cambodia have cultivated the trees on their land. A growing expat community and increasing local awareness of the purported health benefits of the fruit – which is rich in cholesterol-lowering fat and chock full of vitamins and antioxidants – have created a small but vibrant market. “We’ve seen the amount of avocado cultivation growing because people are now understanding the benefits of the fruit, and it has started to become popular in markets,” he said. “However, avocado farming has not yet attracted investors and is still limited to small farms.”
