Cambodia & Journey: Arnaud Kebaili, making Mondolkiri the “Vanilla Province”

Arnaud Kebaili is a young Frenchman with an original career path, from the skies of California to the fertile meadows of Mondolkiri. His ambition: to make the Kingdom a leading vanilla producer. We talk to Arnaud over the famous Topaz business lunch.

Arnaud Kebaili

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Arnaud Kebaily, I'm 33 years old. I'm originally from Paris. I studied Business Administration in the USA and then went to pilot school, because I'd had a passion for flying since childhood. I wanted to become a plane pilot. I completed my pilot licences there between 2011 and 2014.

I then worked for a while in Miami, mainly as a pilot and flight instructor. Once you've passed your qualifications, what you need to do is acquire flying hours and find a job. However, as a foreigner in the USA, you're not the first on the list to get hired. So I did odd jobs on the side, like offering flights to tourists in Miami, half-hour or hour-long Cessna flights. I enjoyed that, it was really nice.

Then I had to leave the country and go to Panama for five days because of visa problems. All of a sudden, a friend I'd met in Florida, a Frenchman who'd moved to Cambodia, contacted me in 2014 and asked if I'd be interested in working for a new airline that was opening in the Kingdom. That was in 2014 and I went there straight away.

Did you already know Cambodia?

Not at all, I knew a little about Thailand. I'd been there with my parents a long time ago. But I didn't know Cambodia. I got the job and started working for Bayon Airlines at the end of 2014.

What did your job involve?

I flew a small courier, a Chinese-made aircraft - similar to an ATR 42 -. This involved quite a few training sessions in China. You have to be certified to fly a plane, and that applies to every type of aircraft.

What were your impressions of Cambodia during this first experience?

I thought it was great. I really had a lot of freedom. However, when I arrived, I didn't live in the best of neighbourhoods. After that, I discovered Boeng Keng Kang 1 and then I discovered a slightly more developed side of the city. But yes, very nice. What's more, as a pilot I was getting a good salary and it was quite a good life. That lasted five years.

And then, after Bayon Airlines?

They closed in 2019 and I returned to France for a year and a half. I worked a bit with my family in commercial real estate. It wasn't easy; I had to readjust after ten years abroad. Then Covid came along and when Cambodia reopened its borders, I decided to come back in November 2020.

What type of activity will you be doing this time?

I ventured into street food with a small Chinese burger concept, Roujiamo, that I had discovered during my travels in China. I thought it was a concept that could certainly be franchised. It didn't work out for a number of reasons. Then I embarked on a vanilla project with a long-standing pilot friend of mine.

Why did you choose vanilla?

Firstly, there aren't many people producing locally and I sincerely believe that there is a demand for natural vanilla. Being a country with a favourable climate and terrain for this type of crop, there's no reason why Cambodia can't produce it, even on a large scale, locally and for the countries in the region.

Demeter Plantation Management

We started planting at the end of 2022 after setting up the plantation in Mondulkiri. For the time being, we don't have a big harvest yet, it's too early, we'll only have between ten and fifteen kilos this year, the long-term objective being to produce between 1.5 and 2.5 tonnes per hectare. So we can hope to have a good harvest by the end of 2025.

Tell us about the company

The company is called Demeter Plantation Management and we are three partners. My friend Simon is in research and development, a Tahitian who is an authentic vanilla expert, a real pro who was already producing vanilla on a small scale in Kandal, and myself who is more involved in the management and administration of the business. At the moment, we have one and a half hectares planted with around ten employees.

The (delicate) processing of vanilla

How do you feel about the vanilla market in Cambodia?

There is a growing local demand, particularly from high-class restaurants, delicatessens and quality patisseries. Not to mention the use of vanilla in cosmetics. I believe that current trends are moving away from synthetic products in these sectors towards the use of natural products. A number of restaurant operators have tasted our vanilla and have been very enthusiastic about it.

“Our ambition is to make Mondolkiri the province of vanilla, because this region is still relatively unexploited and already produces fruit, vegetables and plants that have met with some success.”

In addition to this project, our company offers advice on the construction and operation of plantations, the idea being to offer a turnkey service to potential investors and farmers wishing to diversify their activities. We take care of everything from A to Z. We build the plantation, train the staff, manage the operation and market the product. Ultimately, the ideal would be to have several producers and thus eventually obtain a geographical indication for Mondolkiri vanilla. So, if anyone wants to invest and participate in the creation of the vanilla industry in Cambodia, that's where I'm really interested.

At the moment, we have the largest plantation in terms of surface area, and the company's objective is to have more surface area in operation.

Other activities?

We've also started producing melons, with production targets of one tonne a week.

What does Arnaud do in his spare time?

I've been playing tennis for a long time, and much more regularly now that I'm in Cambodia. Otherwise, I do a lot of travelling around the country. What I do miss a bit is the opportunity to take part in motor sports, racing, motorcycling or even flying.

What do you like most, and least, about Cambodia?

What I like most is the feeling of freedom I get on a daily basis. What I like least would be the traffic and certain driving methods (smile). But, to conclude, all in all, I miss France a little less now that I'm living in Cambodia.