The Kingdom’s first $10 million fresh fruit processing plant will launch in December this year in Kampong Speu province. It will benefit farmers, especially those who grow mangoes, said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Owned by South Korea’s Hyundai Group, the plant lies on a 3ha plot in Kampong Speu province’s Phnom Sruoch district.

It was previously set to open in September, but was delayed, said Hyundai managing director Chang-hoon Lee.

“The facility will be finished by December. It was delayed due to heavy rain. We are also waiting for vapour heat treatment (VHT) machines,” he said.

He said the company will register its first export this month in cooperation with the ministry’s General Directorate of Agriculture.

“Japanese technicians will come to Cambodia to set up the VHT machines next week and [we] will receive training from them for a month.”

He said the company will invite South Korea’s Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency for inspection and approval to export to that country.

“The company will process for a [Certificate of Origin] from Cambodia as well as certify through sanitary and phytosanitary standards [to export].”

The plant treats and removes pesticides on fruit and packaging.

Hyundai Corporation inked a deal with local mango producer Mao Legacy Co Ltd in November 2016, which has about 2,400ha of mango farms in Kampong Speu province.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fruit-processing-plant-set-kampong-speu