Fresh banana exports from Cambodia reached 290,000 metric tonnes (MT) in the 2023 market year. Despite experiencing a decrease of 21% in total shipments year-on-year, bananas were still among the four biggest agricultural exports. 

Irrespective of the quantity drop, domestic prices are unaffected. Bananas in Phnom Penh were costing $1.83 per kg on January 10, 2024, with a bottom  retail price of  $0.75 per kg.

According to Hun Lak, CEO at Longmate Agriculture company, climate change and not low demand caused the low exports.

Lak bluntly stated that weather events such as the El Niño cause severe soil dryness. At the same time, sodden conditions attract pests on banana plantations. 

Remarking on the high demand in China for Cambodia’s fresh yellow bananas, Lak called for fresh preservation of the shipments. He said the tropical fruits ought to ship while still green to avoid en-route ripening amid changing weather conditions.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries stated that China received 90% of Cambodia’s fresh banana exports in 2023. Still, the China-bound tonnage came short of expectations.

Earlier in 2022, Cambodia had shipped a total of 367,400 tonnes of bananas, 330,000 tonnes of which to China. The remainder had gone to Vietnam and Japan.

Overall, the 2022 export volumes also fell short of the 2021 shipments by 11% despite high expectations of shipping 500,000 MT. 

Cambodia Bananas versus other Crop Exports

It was not only bananas that saw a marginal drop in exports but the entire agricultural docket, too. The country exported some 8.45 million tonnes of agricultural products in 2023, a slim drop of 1.9% from the 2022 tonnage. Shipments to over 75 nations earned the south-east Asian nation some $4.3 billion.

Apart from rice, dried cassava and cashew nuts, Cambodia’s fresh bananas had the next biggest shipment size. Concerning rice, the government intends to export a million tonnes of milled rice in 2024. 

The 2023 exports of fresh cassava stopped at 1.9 million tonnes while dried cassava chips 1.2 million tonnes. 

Cashew nut shipments hit 420,000 tonnes to bananas’ 290,000 MT. 

Bananas in Cambodia grow in 6 major provinces that include Ratanakkiri, Stung Treng, Kratie and Kampot, among others.

Nationwide banana acreage in 2023 was more than 16,000 hectares, per the agriculture ministry’s data. 

Bananas are a staple part of the Cambodian diet. They make popular street food known as banana fritters or fried bananas, which cost 500 Cambodian Riel ($0.2) apiece.  Flour is also a hit at a time when people are opting for green banana flour due to its non-glutenous nature.