Agriculture minister Dith Tina (right) discusses work with Cuban vice-minister of agriculture Maury Hechavarria Bermudez on May 3. MAFF
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina has announced that the Kingdom is prepared to support the Cuban agriculture sector, through both technical training and private investment.
He requested that Cuban authorities coordinate legal procedures to ensure that potential investment can be done smoothly and efficiently.
Tina met with Cuban Vice Minister of Agriculture Maury Hechavarria Bermudez on May 3 at the ministry headquarters in Phnom Penh.
“Cuba should examine the possibility of offering land concessions to investors or duty-free exports and imports to their enterprises,” he said.
He thanked the island nation for its excellent long-term cooperation with the Kingdom, noting that it had provided training and human resource development in many fields.
“In the same vein, Cambodia has helped Cuba. When it suffered a shortage of milled rice, we were able to send sufficient supplies that they were able to sustain their people,” he said.
A May 3 social media post by the ministry said that Cambodia has gone from a nation which experienced rice shortages to one with net exports.
Tina said he believed that Cuba could make the same transition in the future, through efficient farming techniques and modern rice varieties.
According to the ministry, Tina and several other senior officials also held a meeting on the same day to discuss eleven project proposals put forth by the German government.
“Eight of the projects were related to agricultural crops, two involved rubber and one involved livestock and animal health,” it added.
The minister advised a working group to thoroughly analyse the projects to ensure they would be sustainable and effective.
“He recommended that they consider available infrastructure and human resources, as well as sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements. In addition, he advised them to eliminate any unnecessary expenditure from the projects’ budgets,” explained the ministry post.
“The minister is in favour of all projects that complement the growth of the sub-sectors of animal production and the cultivation of all crops. However, he is always careful to ensure that any funding that is deployed produces results which are effectively, economical, sustainable and environmentally friendly,” it added.
