Tina: Agriculture Sector Becoming Resilient, Driving Economic Growth

During the closing ceremony of the 2024 National Conference on Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Deputy Prime Minister Sok Chenda Sophea underscored the significance of agriculture to Cambodia’s economic progress. The event took place on January 22, providing a platform to review the accomplishments of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2024 and to chart a course for the upcoming year.

Agriculture stands as one of Cambodia’s vital sectors, significantly contributing to national economic growth by ensuring food security, generating employment, providing income to citizens, and supplying export goods to international markets. To expedite the development of this sector, an enhanced collaboration between the government and the private sector is imperative.

Chenda Sophea emphasized that agriculture remains a government priority due to its essential role in ensuring food security and boosting national economic growth. To augment the sector, the government has initiated numerous policies focused on increasing production, stabilizing agricultural product prices, deploying agricultural officers nationwide, and developing modern agricultural communities.

“The agriculture sector is not only ensuring food security but is also increasingly resilient to climate change and natural disasters,” stated Sophea. “Last year, it achieved a higher agricultural output for export, totaling 12 million tons worth $5.3 billion.”

To further accelerate the sector’s development, Sophea laid out six fundamental recommendations. These included the promotion of active planning and effective implementation of government policies to ensure food security, foster sustainable economic growth, and protect the environment. He also stressed fostering cooperation between the ministry and related institutions to expand market access, increase value-added products, and boost exports, particularly through the creation of agricultural-industrial parks to address production bottlenecks and promote agro-industrial integration.

In addition, Sophea encouraged banks to extend low-interest loans to support the agricultural sector. His additional recommendations called for the establishment of domestic organic fertilizer production facilities, employing comprehensive methods to tackle crimes related to fishing, forestry, and wildlife, and reinforcing cooperation to expedite land registration, especially for state land and flooded forests.

The 2025 Budget Brief highlighted that the Kingdom’s economy is projected to grow by 6.3% in 2025, with the industrial sector anticipated to expand by 8.6%. The services sector is expected to grow by 5.6%, while agriculture is forecasted to increase by just 1.1%. The agriculture sector is expected to improve due to growth in sub-sectors such as crops and livestock, along with modest growth in fisheries.

Crop cultivation is set to maintain robust growth due to ongoing investments in agricultural product processing, increased public investment, and government interventions like subsidies and trade agreements that promote exports.

Agriculture Minister Dith Tina also addressed the gathering, highlighting measures designed to assist farmers and enhance agricultural productivity. The ministry has created nine modern agricultural communities in six provinces, focusing on four strategic crops: rice, vegetables, cashews, and pepper. It has also collaborated with partner banks to offer these communities low-interest loans.

Tina noted that rice production alone reached 13.89 million tons, ensuring Cambodia’s food security and resulting in an export surplus of 8.2 million tons. “We are becoming increasingly resilient to climate change in the crop sub-sector,” Tina continued, attributing this resilience to the enhanced promotion and sharing of techniques with farmers to improve the use of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, as well as the broader adoption of technology and agricultural machinery.

In conclusion, the agriculture sector in Cambodia is poised for further growth and resilience, backed by strategic government policies and cooperation with private sectors. With concerted efforts, the sector stands on solid ground to continue its crucial role in fortifying the nation’s economy.