With potato consumption continuing to rise in the Kingdom, the Cambodian Agriculture Ministry has recently unveiled a USD200k research center which it hopes will develop potato varieties most suited to the country.
Speaking at the ceremony outside the new Potato Research Center, at the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon stressed the increasing importance of potatoes in the nation’s diet.
“The demand for potatoes in the Kingdom is growing year-on-year, not only due to demand from foreign tourists, but also local people. As such, the potato market is growing remarkably,” Mr. Sakhon said, according to the local press.
The center was built in collaboration with the Korean Project of International Agriculture (KOPIA), the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the Ministry of Rural Development.
Thon Serei Udom, assistant to the chairman of HSC Group, which operates the US fast-food chain Burger King in Cambodia, said the demand for potatoes in the company’s restaurants continues to climb. While the chain’s nine local outlets currently source all their potato needs from US suppliers, he said the company would welcome local production.
“Demand for potatoes is increasing annually in parallel with our growing number of branches, so it’s good to try growing potatoes in our country,” he said. “We welcome [this initiative] and always try to use locally made products as much as we can.”
