Pursat coffee plantation plans expansion to 600 hectares

A coffee plantation covering more than 140 hectares in Cambodia’s Pursat province is seeking to reach 600 hectares to serve domestic demand, according to grower Leang Pech. He said approximately 80 hectares were producing beans in O’Soam commune, Veal Veng district.

Pech told journalists he wanted cultivation to reach 1,000 hectares over a three-year period. His plans also include processing coffee locally and eventually selling abroad, although he said no exports had taken place and no international supply agreements had been signed.

Despite interest from overseas buyers, Pech said output was too limited to support greater sales. The plantation supplies some businesses in Phnom Penh, along with resorts connected to his operations in Preah Sihanouk and Kep provinces. He identified Kiri Coffee among his domestic partners.

The grower said equipment for drying coffee had reached O’Soam, while facilities for roasting were being developed. He hopes to add a processing factory to keep more production work within the community. His plantation grows Robusta and Arabica varieties and employs 26 workers.

Pech put the area planted with coffee throughout O’Soam at nearly 200 hectares, counting his own land. He said some residents were reluctant to invest after losing money on earlier crops that lacked reliable markets. In his view, successful harvests, processing facilities and secured buyers would help build farmers’ confidence.