Certification for Organic Veggies

KHMER TIMES
CHEA VANNAK

Ieng Sotheara (right), founder of Khmer Organic Cooperative, at the signing ceremony with a GIZ official. KT/ Mai Vireak

Locally grown organic vegetables could soon see increased demand with the signing of an agreement last week between Khmer Organic Cooperative and the German development agency GIZ for technical assistance in production and certification.

Ieng Sotheara, founder of Khmer Organic Cooperative, said at the signing ceremony with GIZ on Thursday that his company sought certification of organic vegetables grown in the country to distinguish them from those imported from neighboring countries.

“Certification builds the confidence of consumers ‒ both locally and abroad. Moreover, we cannot export our organic vegetables, if they are not certified as organically grown,” said Mr. Sotheara.

Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, GIZ’s national project coordinator Claudius Bredehoft said certification will help maintain the quality of organically-grown vegetables in the country.

“Certification will add value to local organic vegetables. We will support local production of Cambodia’s vegetables and we want show that Cambodia will need less and less imported vegetables,” he said.

Lor Reaksmey, spokesman at the Ministry of Agriculture, welcomed the move to certify organic vegetables to meet demand for quality products in market.

“This is a good effort and meets the requirements of the Agriculture Ministry on the need to certify organically grown vegetables,” he said.

Vongsey Vissoth, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, said previously vegetable production in Cambodia lags behind that of neighboring countries which makes the Kingdom rely on imports that cost about $200 million a year.

Research conducted recently by the Center for Policy Studies’ program shows that 200 to 400 tons of vegetables are imported daily from neighboring countries. The research found that between $150 million and $250 million is spent annually on vegetable imports from Vietnam, Thailand and China.

Khmer Organic Cooperative supplies organic vegetables to local markets from its 23-hectare farmland, according to Mr. Sotheara.