Thailand’s tighter border controls causes concern for Cambodia’s farm goods export

The warning was sounded by Sum Heang, president of Pailin Chamber of Commerce and head of the province’s cassava producers association. She said Thailand has been stepping up border checks of agricultural goods and applying stricter regulations regarding sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) protocols and certificates of origin and clamping down on overloaded trucks.

She pointed out that September marks the traditional harvest season of cassava, Cambodia’s second most important crop as well as mangoes and longan.

According to Heang, tighter border controls and the crackdown on overloaded trucks were just the latest challenges facing the agricultural sector. Farmers are also struggling to cope with drought, declining prices of farm produces and low domestic demands.

Officials from six provinces bordering Thailand met on Tuesday to discuss cross-border trade barriers on farm products.

Say Sopath, director of Pailin provincial agricultural department, pointed out that the main challenge facing the agricultural sector is the SPS certification.

“It takes time for exporters to apply for this certification as testing laboratories are located in Phnom Penh, he said, adding they would try to negotiate with the Thai side to be more flexible.

One possible solution calls for the setting up of regional food safety inspection offices near the border with Thailand to facilitate the flow of cross-border trade, said Say Sopath.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/thailands-tighter-border-controls-causes-concern-cambodias-farm-goods-export/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-14