Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Vision for Cambodia’s Agriculture Sector: A Pathway to Growth, Competitiveness, and Food Security
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Discover how Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen’s visionary leadership and government measures are revitalizing Cambodia’s agriculture sector, ensuring food security, and boosting the country’s economic growth.
In a recent address at the graduation ceremony of the Royal University of Agriculture, Prek Leap National College of Agriculture, and Kampong Cham National Institute of Agriculture, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen emphasized the crucial role of the agriculture sector in the country’s food security and economic growth. Despite its decreasing share in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), agriculture remains an essential sector for Cambodia.
Prime Minister Hun Sen congratulated the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for their achievements in the agriculture sector and urged relevant ministries and institutions to work together to lower the costs of agricultural production. This would enable Cambodian farmers to compete with imported products and increase the competitiveness of the nation’s agricultural products in the global market.
The Prime Minister also called for the establishment of agricultural farmer cooperatives, which would help farmers increase their bargaining power when selling their products to traders. This would lead to better prices for both farmers and traders in the market.
In addition to cost reduction, Hun Sen emphasized the importance of research and development of high-quality, climate-resilient rice seeds. He urged the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries to collaborate with relevant institutions to develop commercially viable seeds for farmers. This would help ensure high rice yields and meet market demand.
The Cambodian government’s commitment to agricultural growth has already shown promising results. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recently launched a new fragrance rice variety, Champei Sar 70 (CPS 70), after nearly a decade of research and development. This fragrant rice variety is expected to meet the growing global demand for fragrant rice, which accounts for over 60 percent of Cambodia’s total milled rice exports.
Cambodia’s rice cultivation in 2022 covered 3.40 million hectares, yielding a total of 11.62 million tonnes. In the first quarter of 2023, the country exported 176,581 tons of milled rice, an increase of 3.5 percent from the same period in 2022, earning $126 million.
Agriculture remains a vital contributor to the Cambodian economy, accounting for nearly a quarter of GDP in 2021 and employing over a third of the workforce. With the continued support and guidance from Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Cambodian government, the agriculture sector is poised for further growth and success, ensuring food security, economic prosperity, and a brighter future for the nation.
Photos: Facebook page of Samdech Hun Sen, Cambodian Prime Minister
