Dr. Hay Ly Eang Named Honorary Chairman of Kampong Speu Palm Sugar Promotion Association – KSPA

In August, Sam Saroeun, president of KSPA, presented Dr. Hay Ly Eang, founder and president of Confirel, with his appointment as honorary president of the association. Regrouping the actors of the palm sugar production chain of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) of Kampong Speu, the association’s main missions are to develop and update the specifications of the PGI, to register and train all the actors of the sugar chain to guarantee the level of quality required in the respect of the specifications, and to verify the traceability from the palm tree to the final product. Since its creation, Confirel, which undertook the first steps for the creation of the PGI, has been a key partner of the association and its producers since it buys and markets in various forms 40% of the total production of the area.

Interview with Sam Saroeun.

1. Why did you decide to give this title of honorary president to Dr. Hay?
2. It is in recognition for the support that Dr. Hay and Confirel have given to our association since its creation in 2008 and the obtaining of the PGI in 2009. A technical support on the one hand, and, on the other hand a very strong support to the international recognition of our product since Confirel exports our sugar in Europe and elsewhere for a long time.
3. What will be the role of the honorary president?
4. His role will be to help us find new partners to win new markets and to work with us to develop new products from sugar and palm syrup. In this way, he will help us to continue to improve the situation of producers and reduce poverty in rural areas.
5. What are the main tasks of KSPA today?
6. Our main tasks are to expand the markets for our products and to verify that the products sold with the PGI logo indeed come from the 150 or so farmers registered with the association. We also need to prepare for the future and preserve our resources. As the country is rapidly urbanizing, many of the current producers are tempted to sell their land and so that some palm trees may disappear as a result. Nonetheless, we are already struggling to meet the demand. It is important to note that, for example, we won’t be able to provide all the raw material that Confirel needs. In addition, another major problem we face is the aging of our producers since the young people of the countryside prefer to work in construction or in textile manufacturing. These issues are real challenges for us. To face them, we must do our utmost to improve the income of producers. This is why we are, among other things, working on a modification of the book of specifications to expand the range of products derived from palm sap authorized to claim our PGI.