Cambodia, Asia-Pacific regional countries foster agricultural collaboration

Cambodia, Asia-Pacific regional countries foster agricultural collaboration

Cambodia and other countries in Asia-Pacific region have convened a virtual meeting to further foster the collaboration on agriculture, especially on the insurance of sustainable food security in the region.

The ministerial meeting on Food System for 2030 taking place yesterday under the theme on “Building Back Better”, was coordinated by Mrs Mari Pangestu, World Bank’s managing director for development policy and partnerships.

Veng Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and his counterparts from Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, as well as representatives from FAO, ASEAN secretariat and national and international organisations joined the platform.

Sakhon underlined some challenges in Cambodia’s agriculture including the low productivity of agriculture and the lack of markets.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, continued Sakhon, the ministry is working hard to timely promote the productivity of quality rice, as well as horticultural and industrial crops through agricultural diversification.

It also strengthens crop sanitation and phytosanitary, develops all forms of aquaculture for farmers, and boosts the investment and beyond.

The minister briefed the participants on the ministry’s plan on food production in line to the agricultural sector master plan 2030 and policy in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

He also spoke highly of the projects being implemented to respond to the COVID-19 threat under Cambodia’s agricultural diversification framework supported by World Bank. Lim Nary – AKP