The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly promote agriculture and poverty reduction cooperation.
The Ministry of Agriculture will implement two projects with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, including the Guangxi Modern Rice Industry Cooperation Project between Cambodia and China and the Guangxi Assistance Project to Cambodia to Promote Modern Agricultural Technology Cooperation and Poverty Reduction, both of which are under the Fisheries and Rice Corridor Cooperation.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture issued on Wednesday, the signing took place between representatives of the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture and representatives of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on September 23 in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
Mr. Prak David, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Agriculture, said at the China-ASEAN Agricultural Cooperation Conference that China and ASEAN have close ties in all fields, including agriculture.
He said that the agriculture sector plays a key role in ensuring food security, while the world is constantly evolving and difficult to plan.
He added, “Therefore, ASEAN and China need to work together to further strengthen cooperation to ensure regional food security.”
He said that the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is currently promoting the establishment of modern agricultural communities to ensure the sustainability of supply in both quantity and quality, which will help promote domestic, regional and global food security.
He highlighted that “at the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will continue to strengthen agri-trade cooperation between Cambodia and ASEAN, as well as Cambodia and China, to promote economic growth and jointly ensure food security between ASEAN and China.”
In an interview with the Khmer Times on Thursday, Dr. Chey Tech, a socio-economic researcher, said that so far, China is ASEAN’s largest partner, especially in terms of industrial investment for mutual benefits, as well as integration between the two partners.
“However, in China-ASEAN investment cooperation, especially in the agricultural sector, we still face some challenges, especially in infrastructure, mutual transportation of goods, and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues,” he added.
For Cambodia, imports from China are high, while exports from Cambodia related to agricultural products are still small.
However, China-ASEAN cooperation in agriculture has helped boost economic growth, create jobs, and increase agricultural exports from ASEAN countries to China. It has also facilitated the transfer of technology, knowledge, and research and development, as well as contributed to food security for both parties.”
It is also worth noting that last week, Minister of Agriculture Dith Tina held a meeting to discuss the draft cooperation plan between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the joint development of the Fisheries and Rice Corridor.
Ms. Im Rachana, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the draft cooperation plan has not yet been finalized and the working group is continuing to work on this task.
