The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will organise an exhibition of agricultural products during this year’s Royal Ploughing Ceremony, set to be held on May 8 in Kampong Thom province. The display will feature locally produced goods.
Ministry secretary of state Om Kimsa chaired an April 19 meeting of the working group tasked with arranging the exhibition. He called for input from the assembled members in order to improve on previous events.
Ministry spokeswoman Im Rachna, who also attended the meeting, said on April 19 that the exhibition would allow the public to learn more about the agricultural products that Cambodian farmers are capable of producing, especially the processed goods that are based on local raw materials.
“We have decided to establish a sub-committee that will compile a list of the finest products available. This way, we hope to make sure that the exhibition is unique and offers something different than previous events,” she added.
Rachna explained that this would not be the first time that such a display has been planned to coincide with the Royal Plowing Ceremony, but that the focus on processed, value-added products would set it apart.
In Lai Huot, owner of the Kampong Thom-based Chey Sambor Cashew Nut Processing enterprise, said he was pleased that Chey Sambo-brand cashew nuts would be featured in the display. He was excited to share the quality of his products with the public.
“It will be a great chance for people to gain an understanding of the high-quality products that we produce here. There are many hectares of cashews under cultivation in Kampong Thom province,” she said.
“These types of events allow us to showcase the potential of our products, and offer excellent networking opportunities to meet potential collaborative partners. We find that we become more well known with each event we attend, which means we find it easier to approach new markets,” she added.
The May 8 ploughing ceremony will be presided over by King Norodom Sihamoni. The ceremony is a long-held tradition which marks the beginning of the rice growing season, and also foretells the productivity of the following year’s crops.
