KOH KONG – Vong Dara has been involved in green mussel fisheries for 30 years, having supplied local and overseas markets. His business was hit hard by COVID-19 but a new opportunity arose as he shifted to high-standard sea water products.

Since 1994, Dara has been operating a small family business making dried seafood from green mussels and shrimps at Peam Krosorb community in coastal Koh Kong province.

Local demand was limited and he supplied mostly fresh green mussels to dealers in Thailand.

Dara cultivates the mussels inside Peam Krosorb community. He and other community members can harvest up to 3,000 tonnes in a season.
Staffs at Vong Dara's enterprise clean green mussels before processing. Photo: Torn Chanritheara

Due to its mangrove forest location, Peam Krosorp is an ideal place for green mussels to grow naturally. Dara and community members plant a pole in sea water so that the mussels can shelter and grow for 10-12 months before harvest.

“Currently, I have harvested 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes from the Peam Krasop community. But a neighboring community also has farmers, so this number has risen to 6,000 to 7,000. tonnes per year,” he said.
Vong Dara established a green mussel processing enterprise in Koh Kong. Photo: Chhum Chantha

About half of the 300-family community supply Dara with green mussels they’ve harvested in Peam Krosorb.

From family business to high-standard product

When COVID-19 blocked the movement of goods, affecting his supply to Thailand, Dara turned to the local market and started to process dried green mussels. However, with the lack of standard packaging and little experience, his business hasn’t yielded much.

“At first, due to inexperience and with no packaging skills, I could not bring those products to the supermarket,” he said. “I need a third party.”

Starting from a family-based business, Dara has expanded his business significantly. In 2021 as his business appeared to be weakened due to the pandemic, he applied for assistance from EU-funded CAPFISH-Capture: Post-harvest Fisheries Development Project.
This solar dome allows Vong Dara to dry green mussel in high-standard facility. Photo: Torn Chanritheara

Dara said that he had asked for technical assistance and material support from CAPFISH-Capture and United Nation Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) to improve his production line and meet high-standard requirements and food safety.

Dara’s products from green mussels, now processed to a high standard and quality, are able to enter Makro, one of the main supermarkets, directly without going through a third party.

He said that with widely disseminated information about his business, his enterprise now is supplying fresh and dried green mussels and related products to between 20 and 25% of the local market.

Dara is also looking to export his green mussel products and has asked for more support to reach the goal.
Many of green mussel are imported to neighboring countries. Photo: Torn Chanritheara

CAPFISH-Capture’s impact

Through Value Chain Investment Support, CAPFISH-Capture has pushed Dara’s enterprise forward with key support including a solar dryer dome, which make it easier to dry green mussels, and production equipment and technical assistance to meet minimum standards.

Dara’s sales of processed products is now increasing 31% along with revenue growth rate of 68%. The expansion also saw a rise in labor by 60%, most of whom are women in the community.

His handicraft was also awarded the Cambodia Quality Seal which signifies a high standard production and food safety.

Bryan Fornari, head of cooperation at Delegation of EU, expressed his appreciation that the EU-funded project had made an impact.
Bryan Fornari, head of cooperation at EU Delegation to Cambodia, speaks to media during a visit to green mussel processing enterprise. Photo: Chhum Chantha

He told media during a roadshow on CAPFISH-Capture’s successful project that the support has helped the local community, provided value addition and raised well-being.

Shetty Seetharama Thombathu, UNIDO chief technical advisor, said, “We need 100 Daras to bring Cambodia to global level, to compete with Vietnam or Thailand.”  To achieve this, all stakeholders must work together.

Thombathu hoped the project will be extended after 2025 as it was very successful. He said that the purpose is to bring Cambodian products to the EU market, raise small and medium enterprises while creating jobs and income for local people.

While entering international markets is still a long journey, Thombathu said that “we want to start small and grow big later.”

He said CAPFISH-Capture can be considered a foundation for small-scale and family businesses to grow.
Peam Krosorp Community is also one well-known tourism site in Koh Kong Province. Photo: Torn Chanritheara