Cambodia's Banana Exports Surge 36% to $157 Million

PHNOM PENH, Sept 15, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia earned more than US$157 million from fresh banana exports in the first eight months of 2026, up nearly 36 percent from the same period last year, official data showed Monday, as farmland expansion outpaced gains in crop yield. The General Department of Customs and Excise said revenue from yellow Cavendish banana exports rose by more than US$41 million compared with the same period in 2025. Officials attributed the increase to expanded access to international markets and rising domestic demand. Banana cultivation area grew an estimated 25.7 percent, while yields rose 20.8 percent, meaning growth in planted land outpaced productivity gains per hectare, according to the report. Khim Finan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said exports had surged on strong international demand. China has remained the overwhelmingly dominant destination since approving direct shipments in 2019, typically absorbing more than 90 percent of Cambodia’s bananas each year. Cambodia now has more than 16,000 hectares planted with bananas, with over 11,000 hectares currently in harvest. The largest cultivation areas are in Ratanakiri, Kratie, Stung Treng, Kampot, Kampong Cham and Kampong Speu provinces, according to the commerce ministry. The ministry said Cambodia earned more than US$178 million from fresh banana exports in 2025, up nearly 17 percent from 2024. The pace of growth recorded so far in 2026 marks a sharp acceleration from that full‑year rate, underscoring bananas’ growing role in the Kingdom’s agricultural export portfolio.