President of the Cambodian Aquaculturist Association (CAA) has requested that relevant ministries find a solution to the more than 20,000 tonnes of aquaculture fish left unsold as imports flood the market.
CAA president Sok Raden said his 270-household-strong association have been devastated by a lack of interest from traders in their products, with many members blaming the large volume of imports.
“Large-scale traders don’t come to buy fish and middlemen don’t come the catch either. Buyers want imported fish from neighbouring countries because they are cheaper,” Sok said.
He added that the CAA insisted that the government and relevant ministries take urgent measures to tackle the issue, noting that maintaining the stocks is financially-demanding and that fish will spoil if not sold promptly.
Furthermore, it is the dry season and some areas could be short of water and fish could die. Fish farmers would suffer huge losses. Without on-time intervention, there could be a big impact and discourage fish farmers.
When asked about the problem of no market, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Veng Sakhon referred the case to a ministry in charge of producing foods and the market, while Ministry of Economy and Finance spokesman Meas Soksensan also referred the case to the General Department of Customs and Excise first.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/20k-tonnes-fish-left-unsold