Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Dith Tina, expressed his dedication to realising the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) vision for agriculture, which aims to benefit every Cambodian - both producers and consumers.
Tina represented the CPP at a July 15 round-table discussion, focusing on the political agendas of the various parties poised to compete in the upcoming general assembly.
The theme of the conversation, “Agricultural Policies,” was proposed by the National Election Committee (NEC).
"Indeed, we recognise sectors experiencing high growth contribute more to the economy than agriculture. However, agriculture is paramount for the CPP as we want to ensure our people have ample food supply regardless of circumstances," he stated.
Tina pointed out that during the challenging phases of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cambodia had managed to avoid the food crisis many countries faced, such as food shortages and price hikes.
He reiterated that the CPP's agricultural vision aims to advantage all Cambodians, a large number of consumers and farmers included.
Detailing the CPP’s agricultural policy, Tina outlined four main points.
The first point emphasises linking agricultural policy to both domestic and international markets. In order to attain their targets, Tina assured that a CPP-led government would formulate concrete market plans, and adjust cultivation to satisfy market needs.
To ensure domestic prices remain steady, the government pledges to allocate $100 million to preserve local agricultural prices.
Tina further stated that the second point is geared towards building a robust community to safeguard farmers from numerous challenges such as market scarcity, inadequate investment, and climate risks.
The CPP also plans to reinforce agricultural communities, with a focus on forming a new, highly integrated agricultural community.
This signifies that the emerging farming community will be equipped with human resources, leadership, capacity, ample investment capital and advanced agricultural techniques.
Communities involved in rice, vegetable, cashew, pepper, animal husbandry and fishing industries will need to be fortified.
The third point concentrates on offering agricultural techniques to all communes engaging in agricultural activities, prepping around 1,600 agricultural officials.
This policy will empower officials to address farmers' issues in a timely fashion, encompassing both technical and market matters.
Lastly, the environmental and agricultural sustainability policies will prioritise conservation of forestry and fishery resources. Alongside development, conservation also emerges as an integral element in CPP's policy.
"The CPP’s agricultural policy for the next term aims to serve all people, consumers and farmers alike, offering a balanced environment for sustainable development," Tina concluded.
