On The Trail - Working as a Videographer for the EU

It was an action packed few days on the road working as a video following the press tour to promote the Cashew Value Chain in Cambodia for the European Union.

The press tour kicked off with a launch event at the Phnom Penh, before moving on to Kampong Thom, Kratie and Stung Treng.

The aim of the tour was to look at the available processing facilities, promote the value chain and to ultimately improve exports direct to Europe.

Our job was to get out front of the media scrum to film interviews and b-roll of the processing plants and cashew farms and then to film the press tour when all the journalists rolled in.

Journalists from over 30 media agencies attended the tour.

Supported by the EU and GIZ, the tour was led by H.E. Im Rachna, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

H.E. Im Rachana explained the reason for the press tour. ‘Our goal is to provide news coverage to Cambodians to promote the cashew nut value chain in Cambodia,’ she said.

Bryan Fornari, Head of Cooperaton at the European Delegation to Cambodia, spoke about the need potential benefits of promoting the cashew value chain.

‘The connection opportunities are there between one of the countries that produces most cashew nuts in the world and the largest market for cashew nuts,’ he said.

Bryan also spoke about the potential of expanding the cashew value chain in Cambodia.

‘The processing parts of the value chain is not here in Cambodia, and there’s a lot of potential to bring it to Cambodia,’ he said.

Over 95% of Cambodian cashews are exported raw and unprocessed.

Gunther Wessel, a GIZ programme manager and a cashew expert, also joined the tour.

‘There is more and more interest in Cambodia, but Cambodians, to start processing,’ he said.

If the cashew producers can adhere to EU standards it will give them access to the biggest market in the world.

Hopefully we see more investment in the cashew sector in Cambodia and growth in the number of direct sales to the EU.

You can see more my work with the EU here and read more of my blog posts here.

Working as a video journalist in Cambodia

I was called by Jack Highwood from Elephant Valley Project to tell me that Sambo, a female elephant from Kampong Speu Province, had trampled her owner and was running amok. I travelled down with him and his team of mahouts over the following days to cover story as a video journalist (VJ).

Jack’s team and a team from Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center monitored Sambo, before transporting her to the rescue centre.

I’ve since worked as a video journalist for the Phnom Penh Post and international agencies including AFP. I look forward to covering more stories in Cambodia and throughout the region.