Confirel celebrates 11 Kampong Speu palm sugar “champions”

On 25 June, Confirel welcomed its 11 largest producers of powdered and paste palm sugar from Kampong Speu to congratulate them and present them with certificates.

As recalled by Nol Rathana, coordinator of Confirel’s Thnot programme, these 11 producers stand out for their volumes among the 154 families working with the company in the province.

During the last campaign, the leading powdered sugar producer reached nearly 5 tonnes, while the sixth exceeded 3 tonnes; for paste sugar, the top producer delivered more than 4.5 tonnes and the fifth 2.37 tonnes.
All received gifts from Confirel and PPM and were able to visit the production line, see their products in their packaging and share their pride, while also expressing the wish for a slight increase in the purchase price for future harvests.

The president of the Kampong Speu palm sugar association, Sam Saroeun, stressed the importance of hygiene to ensure a good price, recalling that the company currently has to spend one dollar per kilo to remove small residual pieces.
Nol Rathana indicated that Confirel is considering better remuneration for the most rigorous producers, in a challenging 2026 campaign context, with only 48% of the 200 planned tonnes achieved due to weather conditions.

Several producers reported having reached their production ceiling, often because of age and the toughness of the work.
For example, Vuth Sal is pleased to sell his sugar to Confirel but believes it is impossible to further increase his volumes.
Mrs Naing Chet described the exhausting pace of her husband, who collects palm sap from 5 a.m. to noon, then from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., while she and two other family members process the sugar until 11 p.m.

Faced with these challenges and the issue of succession, Confirel’s founder, Dr Hay Ly Eang, launched the Motothnot project several years ago to improve safety for climbers and secure productivity.

 He has sought support from the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation, a project that is still ongoing, while producers were also invited to discover the Confirel showroom near the National Museum and enjoy prahok pizzas.