Kingdom’s Organic Food Exports to Oz Expected to Increase

According to Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Veng Sakhon, Cambodian organic exports to Australia are expected to gain momentum after the government signed an agreement with Lexmin Pty Ltd’s subsidiary in the Kingdom.

The General Directorate of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries signed on the afternoon of August 6 a memorandum of understanding with the company on “Promoting organic horticultural production and capacity building of agricultural workers for farm employment opportunities in Australia ”.

As a witness to the MoU signing ceremony, Sakhon announced the agreement as the latest in a series of achievements, which he said reflects the ministry’s constant efforts to help promote and improve the productivity of organic crops aligned with recognized standards.

And as Cambodian organic food grows in domestic and international markets and shows tangible improvements in quality, the minister said the MoU will help boost development to create a stronger and more prosperous segment.

“This MoU will complement the mutual benefits of building partnerships, as well as the development of value chains for crop production, sustainable and inclusive transformation, competitiveness, resilience to climate change and innovation.

“In particular, the implementation of this MoU will undoubtedly contribute to the achievement of the ministry’s strategic plans aimed at boosting productivity and improving the diversification of organic crops,” he said.

He added that the MoU will contribute to the development of agricultural production chains, processing industry, value added and domestic and foreign organic food markets; create employment opportunities; strengthen the technical capacities of farmers; increase income and provide a model of collaboration between the state, the private sector, development partners and agricultural cooperatives.

At the same time, the minister suggested that in order for the MoU to be more effective, the company should seek additional financial support from the Australian government to expand the scope of production as much as possible in order to promote and improve the organic crop production methods in Cambodia. , as well as to increase exports.

Sakhon called on the company to make every effort to legally bring Cambodian workers to work in Australian agriculture, train them and give them the valuable practical experience they need to turn the Cambodian sector into a prosperous one, a process which he stressed the ministry would be eager to help guide.

Cambodia exported more than 13 million tonnes of agricultural products last year, valued at more than $ 3.4 billion, according to ministry data.