Agriculture minister Dith Tina (centre) witnesses the ‘Safe Standard Chilli Pepper Sales Agreement’ signing on March 6. Agriculture ministry
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina has encouraged chilli farmers to join modern agricultural communities, explaining that their participation will bring numerous benefits, especially ensuring market access and pricing.
On March 6, he witnessed the signing of the “Safe Standard Chilli Pepper Sales Agreement” and then met with the members of one such modern community, the “Sustainable Chilli Pepper Development” group in Pursat province.
The group consists of 182 families which farm 52 hectares of Phnum Kravanh district’s Pongreil commune.
During the meeting, he noted that the formation of the communities aims to help farmers improve their livelihoods.
Tina reiterated that the members of the modern communities earn more profit, through market and price guarantees for their crops which are negotiated as a collective.
“The agriculture ministry has planned a clear strategy to promote the communities, offering support through low-interest loans, technical advice and guaranteed markets. However, farmers within the community must build mutual trust and ensure honesty between producers and buyers, and think about large-scale collective benefits,” he said.
Tina has previously outlined the many advantages of modern communities, such as reduced production costs through land consolidation, the ability to purchase agricultural inputs in bulk at lower prices, clear production planning, the ability to meet market demands, proper production contracts, access to low-interest loans and guaranteed market access.
To promote agricultural growth and increase yields – especially in rice production – the seventh-mandate government has implemented many priority measures to assist farmers, including deploying agricultural officers to provide direct technical support in rural areas across the country.
In 2025, Cambodia's economy is projected to grow by 6.3%, with the industrial sector leading the growth at 8.6%, followed by services at 5.6% and agriculture at 1.1%, according to the 2025 Fiscal Year Budget Summary.
According to the agriculture ministry, in 2024, Cambodia exported 11.7 million tonnes of agricultural products, a 39% increase from the 8.4 million tons reported in 2023.
Key exports included rubber, rice, paddy rice, cassava, cashew nuts, bananas, longans and pepper, with a total value of approximately $4.8 billion. The sector contributed about 22% of the Kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2024.
