Certification Quandry Stunts Sugar Exports
In April 2010, Kampot Pepper and Kompong Speu palm sugar both gained a geographical indication (GI) from the Ministry of Commerce that recognized their unique qualities and protected their name. But while Kampot pepper producers export almost all of their 17-ton annual production at high prices to markets in countries such as Japan or Switzerland, Kompong Speu sugar farmers only export a fraction of their annual production due to their inability to process and package the sugar. There is also little effort being made to find buyers abroad. “If you compare the progress of marketing the sugar with the pepper, sugar is moving very slow,” said Prak Sereyvuth, executive director of the Cambodian Institute for Research and Rural Development, who helped attain GI status for Kompong Speu palm sugar. …
