Kingdom to ship swiftlet nests to Chinese market

Synopsis: The move is expected to drive substantial economic growth for local farmers and processors.

Cambodia has officially secured its first-ever export permit to ship edible swiftlet’s nests—including premium processed “whitish nests”—directly to China.

The breakthrough marks the formal entry of Cambodian swiftlet products into the world’s largest consumer market for the high-value delicacy.

The official registration of the export permit was approved by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) on July 15 to Best Life Product Co., Ltd., based in Sihanoukville province.

According to the GACC, the company was approved to export these products under the category of ‘Swiftlet’s Nest and Swiftlet’s Nest Products’ that is valid until July 15, 2031.

According to the Business Information Center of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce, the company whitish nest products have been certified with the Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) through the General Department of Accreditation of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology & Innovation.

President of the Cambodia Swiftlet Bird Nest Manufacturer and Export Association, also Founder and General Director of the Best Life Product Co., Ltd., Va Sochin, expressed her overwhelmed joy and thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Minister Dith Tina and the ministry’s leadership for their hard work and dedication to support the company to achieve this historical success.

Sochin said that this success could not be obtained without attentive support from Minister Tina, alongside the leaderships of the General Directorate of Agriculture, the General Directorate of Forestry and Wildlife, and the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production (GDAHP) of the MAFF.

According to Sochin, the Chinese market has extremely high requirements for food quality, safety and hygiene standards. Therefore, the entry of Cambodia’s first whitish nest products into its market through strict review to obtain market access fully demonstrates the significant progress made by the Kingdom’s whitish nest industry and its stakeholders.

Despite the fact that Cambodia has limited edible-nest swiftlet raisers, causing the production of this high-end product not to meet high demand, this first entry would provide room for investment expansion and exploration into this industry, especially encouraging its production chain both in the lower and upper streams.

Swiftlet’s edible nests, or whitish nest is considered one of the world’s most expensive foods, costing roughly $700 to $900 per kilogram for raw whitish nests and approximately $1,500 to $2,000 per kilogram for processed, ready-to-be-consumed nests, according to industry insiders.

It may be noted that the edible-nest swiftlet is a bird species widely spread across South and East Asia. It produces a whitish nest made of solidified saliva, which is used as the main component of the bird’s nest soup, a speciality yet pricey Chinese dish.