Angkor villagers benefit from non-timber forest products in Angkor Park

Angkor villagers benefit from non-timber forest products in Angkor Park

Willughbeia edulis, Korlan, Burmese grape, and some wild fruits have already started to be harvested from the forest in Angkor Park. These wild fruits provide additional income for local people.

Angkor villagers begin to harvest wild fruits in the surrounding area and sell them on the streets near the temples, especially on the streets to Angkor Wat.

Ms. Yep Kot has been, an Angkor villager, selling fruits on the street for six years. She sells a variety of fruits, and this season the best-selling fruits are Willughbeia edulis, Korlan, and Burmese grape. She said that this year, those kinds of wild fruits are harvested more than last year and we can sell them at a reasonable price.

Another seller, Ms. Champey, is also busy arranging and hanging fruits for sale to attract buyers. She said that Willughbeia edulis and Korlan are the best-selling wild fruits of the stalls this season and customers like to buy them, especially tourists.

As a reseller, Ms. Champey learned from the local villagers that the areas with the most abundant wild fruits in Angkor Park, such as Preah Khan, Neak Poan, and the French dam, help to provide additional income to the local people in the surrounding area.

Article and Photos: Neang Samnang