(Phnom Penh): Cambodia secured official approval to export fresh jackfruit to China after signing a Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) with the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

The agreement was signed on Wednesday during a bilateral meeting between Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina and GACC Minister Sun Meijun.

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in plant and animal quarantine, as well as the import and export of safe food products.

On the occasion, Minister Dith Tina highly praised the growing Cambodia–China agricultural and trade cooperation, noting that it continues to deliver tangible results.

Both sides have been working closely to accelerate the necessary procedures, particularly the registration process with the GACC and the development of SPS protocols, to facilitate greater access for Cambodian agricultural products to the Chinese market.

The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) serves as a key market-access mechanism between the two countries. It establishes requirements for cultivation, harvesting, cleaning, processing, packaging, and transportation to ensure that exported agricultural products are free from pathogens, chemical residues, pests, and diseases that could pose risks to human, animal, or plant health.

The ministry noted that an SPS agreement is a prerequisite for official agricultural exports, as importing countries require commodity-specific agreements before granting market access.

The signing of the SPS agreement and the MoU marks another milestone in Cambodia-China agricultural cooperation and is expected to further expand bilateral agricultural trade while creating new export opportunities for Cambodian farmers and producers.
=FRESH NEWS