Officials from the agriculture ministry and a delegation from Zhengzhou, China hold a meeting in Phnom Penh on September 9. Agriculture ministry
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that a delegation from Zhengzhou, the capital of China’s Henan province, has expressed interest in Cambodian products, including “high-quality and delicious rice”, and intend to process them for export to Chinese and international markets.
The intention was shared during a meeting between ministry secretary of state Prak David and a delegation from Zhengzhou on September 9.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed discuss closer cooperation in the rice industry, including the construction of rice warehouses, increased processing capacity and a “technological transformation”, along with the implementation of cooperation on financial services, through the Cambodia-Henan Cooperation Project Plan in the rice crop sector.
“The Chinese delegation expressed interest in Cambodia's products, such as high-quality, delicious rice, and intends to process Cambodian rice to Chinese and international markets,” the ministry said in a September 10 statement.
During the meeting, David said that the ministry would examine the feasibility of the Chinese proposal and strengthen cooperation between Cambodia and China.
He viewed the “diamond" cooperation between the two countries as a model of cooperation that will be mutually beneficial and improve the agricultural sector, through the fish and rice corridors.
David praised the development of Henan province for its packaging and processing technology and human resources in agriculture, as well as financial resources, which is what Cambodia needs to invest in improving its agricultural sector.
He highlighted the potential of several of Cambodia's agricultural products, such as mangoes, cashews, longans and casava starch, noting that Cambodia has strong cultivation, but requires investment in processing, packaging and logistics for export to international markets, as well as to boost the value chain and improve efficiency.
David explained that the current priority policy in the agricultural sector is the modern farming community, and suggested that the Chinese side could examine the possibility of providing low-interest loans to support the communities and meet market demand for good quality and high-value-added products.
In the first eight months of 2024, the trade volume between Cambodia and China reached more than $10 billion, about a 24% year-on-year increase. Of this, exports totalled more than $1.1 billion, up about 22%, while imports from China exceeded $8.9 billion, up about 24%, compared to the same period in 2023, according to the General Department of Customs and Excise (GDCE).
