Author: Ra Thorng Beginning in 2020, Mekong Institute (MI) and the New Zealand Aid Program (NZAP) launched a series of hybrid PROSAFE forums in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam to come out with a cohesive multi-sectoral approach that will scale up the competitiveness and resiliency of the agri-food industry

Small and medium-sized food enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Cambodian economy. However, the country’s food manufacturing sector continues to face numerous challenges in ensuring that the food processed and distributed, especially by local agro-processors, are safe.Inadequate resources and expertise remain to be the biggest constraints in complying with a

Globalization has sparked an increase in consumer demand for a wider variety of foods, resulting in a longer, if not more complex, global food chain as well as the industrialization of agricultural systems in order to meet this rising demand. This also means that more actors and players are concerned

Author: Maria Theresa S. Medialdia For countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), agri-food is a driver of food security, poverty alleviation, and regional economic integration. Given the abundant agri-food diversity in the region, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) have tapped these resources to secure holistic socioeconomic development.

AUTHOR: HUYNH THI THUY HANH In Ho Chi Minh City, 95 percent of Vietnamese buy street food. The ubiquitous sight of food stalls, conveniently located in busy streets to alleyways, from school gates to bus stops, markets to the parks, have made street food an indispensable part of locals’ everyday

GOOD THAT MARKET INFORMATION BRINGSPangasius, or more popularly known by its local name tra, is one of Vietnam’s major export products. Top import markets are the US and EU, and in the last couple of years, China. In 2015, the tra fish started making its way to South Korean and

What’s in a name: building brand competitiveness — story of the organic rice cluster, Prachinburi, ThailandBranding can make or break a product’s performance in the market, and in the face of competition, the right branding can make a product stand out in a sea of similar competing products. With Thailand

MYANMAR FARMER GROUP’S EXPERIENCE IN PILOTING ‘SAFE FOOD FROM SAFE FARM’ AUTHOR: DWIGHT JASON RONAN It was a sunny Saturday morning and several people have started to gather around the small stalls lined up along Nat Mauk Street near Yangon’s Kandawgyi Lake. There is nothing unusual seeing a weekend market

With increased integration into the global food value chain, supply and demand are transcending borders, thereby, creating opportunities for emerging economies. New opportunities ranging from wider market access to favorable pricing strategies are inevitably challenged by the lack of knowledge and weak compliance to food safety standards and regulations. As

TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE: INTEGRATING THE MACKEREL FISH CLUSTERS IN DAWEI Fishery is an integral part of Myanmar’s economy. According to a 2016 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization, fishing is the main livelihood of over one million fishers in the country. Likewise, not only is fish a staple in

Mr. Chanthavy Thongmanichanh was all smiles when he greeted us at the entrance of their rice mill. He was wearing a gray pullover and a white hard hat when he ushered us into their small business empire. “I just finished work, sorry,” he said shyly as he brushed some dirt

OPENING DOORS AND HOW NETWORKING CAN MEAN THE START OF BIG THINGSKoh Kong Province in Cambodia may not be the first place to come to mind when the word fish sauce is mentioned, but members of the sea water fish sauce cluster in the province are determined to change this.

Author: Ra Thorng Cambodia’s agriculture sector accounts for 20.71 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs about 31 percent of its total population in 2019.[1] While several food crops produce a significant surplus, about 50 to 60 percent of fruits and vegetables in the markets are imported from

There’s a bright future for the youth in agriculture. The 31-year-old director of Saybua Rice Mill in Khammouane, Lao PDR, Mr. Bounyoung Thavisouk, shares about the younger generation’s place in agriculture. In many agricultural economies, the waning interest in farming among the youth is a common concern, even in a