Siem Reap Province: My name is Kim Sophors, and I am the owner of Spotlight Foods Enterprise. I produced dried fish, fermented fish, stuffed frog, and fish processing products such as crispy fish skin and fried fish bone. This business began as a family operation passed down from my mother. In 2019, my husband and I started focusing on improving and strengthening our product standards. Today, we have 3 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees.
Starting my business wasn’t easy. I began by following the traditional methods my mother taught me, but those methods made it hard to keep up with what the market demands. Because our production depended on natural condition, we could only produce dried fish during the dry season, which limited our supply. On top of that, I didn’t have enough knowledge about food safety, product standards, or modern machinery that could streamline our production chain. At that time, my production volume was very small, and I didn’t have the confidence to accept large orders.
In 2024, I learned about the Investment Support Facility (ISF) project from a friend. I looked for more information and decided to apply. As a result, I received support to strengthen my processing capacity to standardize and modernize the infrastructure of my production.
Through this project, I received facility support, including a solar drying house and a freezer. I also gained new knowledge through capacity-building training on production, food safety, and the Certificate of Compliance to Requirements of the Cambodia Quality Seal (CQS) facilitated by UNIDO. In addition, I secured a guaranteed loan from CGCC through one of its PFI, under the ISF project, which helped me upgrade my infrastructure to meet building standards for handicraft production and purchase additional equipment.
Since receiving support from the project and the guaranteed loan from CGCC, my business has become about 20 percent more profitable. Before, I could only produce between 20 and 30 kilograms of fresh fish per day. Now, I can produce between 100 and 150 kilograms per day or even more depending on the orders I receive. On average, I produce between 50 and 70 kilograms of dried fish per day. Previously, I could produce less than 10 kilograms of dried fish.
I am really proud of this growth because it has not only increased my business revenue, but it has also created jobs for my team, boosted the income of fishermen and fish farmers, and local grocery sellers.
In addition, I feel even more confident in my products now because my dried fish has passed laboratory testing and is officially registered. Today, my products are sold in markets around Siem Reap and are distributed by traders to retails shops in the provinces and to restaurants. Also, I am currently working closely with AEON Malls and Chip Mong Supermarkets to bring my products on their shelves, and I’m hopeful that they will be available there in early 2026. Looking ahead, I truly believe that within the next two years, Spotlight Foods Enterprise will reach international markets.
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