Cambodia Eyes Expanding Cricket Flour Exports to Europe
Chan Sopha, the director general of the Cambodian Standards Institute of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, said that 15 tons of flour were collected from 60 farms in Takeo province. Photo: Club of Cambodian Journalist
- By Thun Senghong
- January 29, 2024 11:55 AM
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia is looking to increase cricket flour production by authorizing 10,000 families to farm the insect and turn it into flour. Production is due to be sent to Europe, after initial exports to Japan proved successful.
Crickets, an edible insect, are considered a popular new food. Cambodia is striving to export cricket flour to new export markets as a food ingredient.
The crickets are toasted and ground, making them easy to use for any food requiring flour, pies, cakes or bread.
In 2022, Cambodia exported 15 tons of cricket flour to Japan.
Chan Sopha, the director general of the Cambodian Standards Institute of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, said that 15 tons of flour were collected from 60 farms in Takeo province.
He said crickets are known as a protein-rich insect that is widely consumed in Asia including Cambodia.
The farms received support from the ministry with Japan providing relevant technology to raise and feed the crickets, as well as respect hygiene standards in the farms. After monitoring the quality of the crickets, Japan agreed to import the Cambodian production, he said.
Speaking at a forum on the ministry’s priorities on Jan. 26, Sopha said a can of crickets is worth $20 when exported.
Now that the Japanese market has proved its worth, Cambodia aims to export cricket flour to Europe, Sopha added.
“Currently, the cricket community plans to expand its membership to 10,000 families in preparation for exporting crickets to the European market in the next three years,” he said.
As for the Japanese markets, the farms will have to respect quality and hygiene standards to be able to export to the European Union.
Sopha said the European community in Cambodia has already conducted a study on cricket flour and is willing to start importing it in the next three years. He said the amount of flour to be exported is not yet known.
Originally written in Khmer for ThmeyThmey, this article was translated by Torn Chanritheara for Cambodianess.
