Agriculture minister Dith Tina (C-L, red krama) and a European delegation visited cashew and pepper fields in the provinces of Kampong Thom and Tboung Khmum. Supplied
A high-level delegation from Team Europe, consisting of ambassadors from the EU, Germany, and the Czech Republic, alongside representatives from the French embassy, AFD, SDC, and GIZ, joined Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Dith Tina, on a two-day visit to cashew and pepper fields in the provinces of Kampong Thom and Tboung Khmum.
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The visit aimed to highlight the challenges and opportunities in Cambodia's high-value crop sectors, with a focus on building sustainable agricultural practices and creating job opportunities for local farmers.
During the visit, the delegation met with members of Modern Agricultural Cooperatives (MACs), processing companies and exporters in the two provinces.
The meetings provided valuable insights into the growth potential of the cashew and pepper value chains, as well as the challenges faced by farmers and processors at the local level.
During the tour, Tina emphasised the vital role of agricultural cooperatives in strengthening Cambodia’s agri-food system, particularly in terms of food security, economic resilience and environmental sustainability.
“By uniting farmers to adopt sustainable practices, cooperatives can help reduce production costs, improve their bargaining power and enhance their livelihoods,” he explained.
The meetings provided valuable insights into the growth potential of the cashew and pepper value chains, and the challenges faced by farmers and processors at the local level. Supplied
The visit also included a tour of the Bos Khnor Centre of Excellence, a facility dedicated to promoting innovative and climate-resilient agricultural practices. The centre serves as a hub for research and development aimed at improving productivity and sustainability within Cambodia’s agricultural sector.
Igor Driesmans, EU ambassador to Cambodia, highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing the agricultural sector's current challenges.
“Today’s agricultural challenges require collective action and innovative solutions. Team Europe is committed to accelerating green growth and creating decent jobs in Cambodia’s agri-business sector,” he said.
“We are building strong partnerships with the government of Cambodia to empower local farmers, enhance productivity and promote sustainable practices,” he added.
German ambassador Stefan Messerer also underscored the objective of fostering competitiveness and climate resilience within Cambodia’s agricultural value chains.
“By supporting the development of sustainable practices and strengthening value chains, we aim to increase incomes, expand processing capacities and improve market access for all stakeholders, with a particular focus on local value addition,” he said.
This collaboration between Cambodia and Team Europe is part of a broader initiative to support sustainable agricultural development in the country, which aligns with government’s policy of promoting environmentally friendly and economically viable agricultural practices.
The EU, along with Germany, France and other European partners, is working with the agriculture ministry to enhance the competitiveness of Cambodia’s agricultural sector and strengthen business relationships between agricultural cooperatives, processors and exporters.
One of the key objectives of the partnership is to promote deforestation-free, sustainable agricultural value chains.
The Team Europe Initiative on Green Agribusiness and Decent Jobs aims to build resilient agro-processing systems that meet high-value market requirements in both the EU and ASEAN regions.
This initiative is designed to support farmers in adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices and improve the environmental footprint of agricultural production while ensuring that the benefits of these efforts are shared equitably with local communities.
The ongoing collaboration also includes advancing research and promoting sustainable development within agricultural value chains.
By aligning Cambodia’s agricultural practices with international standards for food safety, social responsibility and environmental protection, the partners aim to improve the competitiveness of Cambodian products in global markets while contributing to the country’s long-term development goals.
