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Rattan Association of Cambodia ‘Hit the Road’
By Tep Asnarith, WWF Cambodia

The newly elected chief of Rattan Association of Cambodia, Mr. Lip Cheang is excited over his new leadership role in the association. As one of its founders, and also owner of one of the important rattan enterprise in Cambodia, he is committed to successfully meet the goals of the association.

“I will devote my time and work harder with other members for the successful operation of this rattan association,” he said. “If the association runs smoothly and effectively toward its goal, it will be very advantageous as it will create more work opportunities, help reduce the country’s poverty, maintain the sustainability of rattan resource in the forest, as well as eventually increase government’s income via collection of tax from rattan product export,” he added.

In late October, a meeting to elect head of the association was organized in Phnom Penh with support of WWF and its partner Artisans Association of Cambodia (AAC). This happened a few weeks after the rattan association of Cambodia had been established with the goal to put in place and maintain a sustainable system of rattan production and supply.

The management of the association is planning some necessary activities to be implemented within a six-month period. Important actions include legalising the newly formed association, working with the ministry of commerce to obtain licenses for small and medium enterprises members of the association, and establishing a rattan business plan.

“WWF’s rattan project, co-financed by EC and IKEA, and AAC will work with a business consultant to support the association in the development of its business plan,” said Mr Ou Ratanak, Rattan Project Manager. He continued that a good business plan for effective implementation should take into account some key elements including strategic marketing, market information, forecast and analysis, capacity in production and supply and management of workers.

According to Mr Ratanak, a series of visits will be organised for members of the association to home of wild rattan in WWF-supported 20 villages in provinces of Kampot, Preah Sihanouk, Koh Kong, Kampong Thom and Preah Vihea. “The rattan entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to gain insight into wild rattan and the sustainable model of resource management already in place, while building up relationship with the communities in order to eventually establish a mechanism of supplying rattan for processing in factories,” he said.

In the matter of relationship building, the association also serves as a link between rattan handicraft and furniture produced by the communities and the market in Phnom Penh capital, as well as Siam Reap and Preah Sihanouk provinces.

“The association has plan to buy the community’s semi-processed and processed products for further selling in Phnom Penh market,” Mr Lip Cheang said. “This helps enlarge market for the products by the communities and encourage them in processing work, while continuing to sustainably manage the resource in the forest,” he added.

The association is also working with WWF and AAC to generate greater awareness among other groups in the rattan sector of the existence of the association and the benefits of becoming members. Mr Ratanak said one of the approaches would be that the association would seek an opportunity to sit down in discussions with the Government to establish a favorable environment that promote the rattan sector in Cambodia and encourage the competitivity.

“There is plan to develop a series of promotional tools including website and other print materials to spread to a wider audience information about the association and the goal of green and sustainable production it is working on to achieve,” said Mr Ratanak.

According to Thibault Ledecq, Regional Rattan Project Manager, by becoming member of the association group, Cambodian rattan processing companies will be able to acquire necessary knowledge and skills in order to respond to the need and requirement of the international market.

“WWF will facilitate the link between the association and the regional and international markets by identifying potential buyers who are looking for sustainable and green rattan products,” he said.

Follow this internet link to read the press release on the rattan association when it was established:
http://www.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/cambodia/?175522/First-rattan-association-of-Cambodia-a-step-to-sustainable-rattan-industry

Learning by seeing

Earlier in the year, a mixed delegation of governments, WWF and other associations from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have benefited from a 10-day visit to different parts of Indonesian rattan industry - from wild rattan in Kalimantan to retail-shops in Jakarta. As part of exchange programme, the visit was organised by WWF’s Regional Rattan Project to let all participants experience new ways of rattan management, processing and design, learn about trade and related policies, while also establishing connections between the rattan sectors of the three countries and Indonesia.

The Cambodian rattan actors plan to conduct a similar visit in Vietnam with two important foci: exchange of knowledge and technology and strengthening relationship in the rattan sector.
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