Tina optimistic fish production rising as prahok season opens
THE Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries estimated a five per cent increase in fish production this year, attributed to the relevant authority’s diligent measures.
As the prahok season commenced, agriculture minister Dith Tina visited a fishing community in Tapov village, located in Koh Chen commune in Kandal province’s Ponhea Leu district, on December 19.
“The minister emphasised that the ministry inspects fish products annually, and this year, fish production is estimated to increase by around five per cent compared to last year. This is largely owing to effective collaboration in combating illegal fishing with a high level of responsibility,” said the ministry in a social media post following the visit.
According to Tina, at the beginning of the prahok season, approximately 70 per cent of fish to be found are the Trey Slak Russey (Paralaubuca riveroi) species, 10 per cent are made up of Chhviet (Pangasius macronema), and the remaining 20 per cent comprise various other species.
The minister urged the producers of prahok – a ubiquitous pungent-smelling fermented fish paste used in a wide variety of local dishes – to adhere to the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) technical guidelines and international export standards.
He noted that traditional methods are still predominantly used in prahok processing. However, there are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) producing dried prahok to meet market demand, seeking quality and safety certification to enhance trust and add value for exports.
Tina mentioned that last year, the ministry initiated a prahok processing competition, supported by Conferel, a prominent wholesaler of
and private partnerships in ASEAN, with a focus on improving the livelihoods of people, creating new opportunities and jobs.
In addition, Kishida announced the “Partnership to build future worth $281.44 million over the next 10 years”, as well as a $105.55 million project for international research and human resource training exchanges.
Manet noted that Cambodia is ready to play a part in these initiatives.
Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said on December 19 that the conclusion of the summit had seen Cambodia yield many interesting results.
“These included the signing of seven memorandums of understanding [MoU] that will foster close collaboration with different government institutes. In addition, [Manet] met with representatives from several major Japanese companies,” he added.
He noted that the forum had served as a major diplomatic exchange for Cambodia, in line with the seventh-mandate government’s intention to expand its foreign policy.
“Strengthening old friendships and expanding new ones is the basic principle of the government’s foreign policy position, based on domestic and international laws,” he explained.