A ceremony was held on Monday by Cambodian and Chinese authorities to celebrate the first time for Cambodia to export bananas to China. The trade also marks the successful implementation of mutually-beneficial cooperation pushed forward by the Belt and Road Initiative.

Photo by Shen Wenmin/People's Daily

The first shipment of 100 tons of bananas from Phnom Penh on May 9 arrived in Shanghai, East China last Wednesday.

To foster agricultural collaboration along the Belt and Road, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs accepted 10 demonstration areas of overseas agricultural cooperation. The Cambodia-China Tropical Agriculture Demonstration Area in Kratie, Cambodia is one of them.

Bananas are the most consumed fruit in the world and China can consume around 14 million tons of banana annually, which equals the combined consumption of Europe and US.

Banana farming in China often takes a hit from typhoons, frost, Panama disease and other factors. The planting area of bananas is expected to be reduced by half from 4,000 square kilometers to less than 2,000 square kilometers, and total output is feared to drop to 6 million tons.

With the special advantages in climate, field area and low labor costs, Cambodia is an ideal country for banana planting. Further incorporated in the Chinese market, investment and technology, Cambodia promised to fill the supply gap of banana in China. Cambodia itself will become the largest banana exporting country and eventually will become a strong country in producing and exporting tropical fruits.

(Compiled by Qiao Wai)