Fish processing enterprise Home Taste Food exported its first batch of processed fish to Australia, becoming the first Cambodian firm to export fish products to a foreign market.
Sim Sereyroth, Founder of Home Taste Food based in Siem Reap province, told Khmer Times that 4.7 tonnes of fish products have been exported and soon they will be available at supermarkets in Australia.
“It is a significant step for us as a local enterprise and it is a testimony to the quality of the product,” Sereyroth said.
The enterprise is capable of scaling up the production if the demand goes up in the foreign market, she said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) applauded the success of the company. “The presence of Cambodian processed fish products in an international market is a welcome development,” said Im Rachna, the ministry’s Under-Secretary of State and spokeswoman.
“Home Taste Food is the first Cambodian enterprise to export processed fish products to foreign markets,” Rachna confirmed to Khmer Times.
The ministry will continue to support the company which now aims to expand its exports to the US and New Zealand markets by more than 100 tonnes in the near future, Rachna said.
The Kingdom is also looking into opportunities for the export of processed fish products to the European market.
According to Rachna, to boost exports, Home Taste Food employees have been undergoing training by the CAPFISH-Capture, an initiative of MAFF and UNIDO, she said.
The training is aimed at improving the technical capacity of the private sector. It will also promote competition and help the implementation of the food standard system in Cambodia to meet national and international standards.
“The enterprises that can export processed fish products are recognized by the UNIDO and the Fisheries Administration by awarding Cambodia Quality Seal (CQS) certification,” Rachna said.
The CQS is a prestigious certification scheme of the Department of Fisheries Post-harvest Technologies and Quality Control under the Fisheries Administration.
It was established specifically for fish and fishery products to recognize business operators in Cambodia for their commitment to high-quality, safe products.
The certification is awarded to companies that meet rigorous standards of excellence in safety, quality, environmental responsibility, gender equality, child labour prevention, and customer satisfaction.