Cambodian fresh longans have become popular among Chinese consumers after the nation launched its first direct shipment of the fruit to China in October last year.

Cambodia exported more than 6,000 tons of fresh longans to China during the period of October 2022 to March 2023. Also, some 3,400 tons of fresh longans were shipped to China during the January-March period this year.

Longan is Cambodia’s third fresh fruit having officially gained direct access to the Chinese market, after banana and mango. Cambodian Ministry of Commerce’s undersecretary of state and spokesman Penn Sovicheat said China is a huge market for Cambodian agricultural products.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Cambodia has more than 18,000 hectares of longan trees, producing more than 131,000 tons of fresh longan annually.