Agriculture minister Dith Tina meets with Choi Moonjung, KOICA country director, on December 23 at the ministry headquarters. Agriculture ministry
Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, has welcomed the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) support for Cambodia’s agricultural sector. The South Korean agency is strengthening capacities and deploying commune agricultural officers to assist farmers with technical and marketing challenges.
Tina shared his gratitude with Choi Moonjung, country director of KOICA Cambodia, during a December 23 meeting, held at the ministry headquarters.
“The Minister stressed that capacity building and human resource development in the agricultural sector are essential, particularly in strengthening the effectiveness of commune agricultural officers in monitoring, data collection and technical dissemination,” explained a ministry statement.
KOICA announced its commitment to a grant of $12 million for a project titled “Building an Integrated Agriculture Extension-Education-Research Nexus of Climate Change Adaptation in Cambodia”.
The project, scheduled for implementation from 2025 to 2030, aims to improve agricultural extension services across the country.
“The discussions focused on KOICA’s support for this grant, which is committed to enhancing the capacity and quality of Cambodia’s agricultural extension services,” said a KOICA statement.
The programme aims to strengthen the skills of public officers engaged in agricultural extension services, particularly Commune Agricultural Officers (CAOs), by providing training in agricultural techniques, facilitation and the production of extension materials.
“This initiative seeks to improve agricultural extension services at the local level, ultimately enhancing the livelihoods of Cambodian farmers,” added the agency.
Tina instructed the project team to design training programmes that will equip CAOs with better techniques to support farmers effectively.
He also advised conducting in-depth studies on the potential employment of graduates from the proposed Faculty of Agricultural Education and Communication at the Royal University of Agriculture, targeting opportunities for graduated students, agricultural importers and related companies.
KOICA further highlighted plans to enhance infrastructure, including building dormitories, equipping facilities for media and communication training, and developing curricula and materials for higher education.
“This project inclusively supports the second program of the Cambodian Priority Policy Programs for the Agriculture Sector,” said Moonjung.
“On behalf of the South Korean government, KOICA is committed to delivering its responsibilities of strengthening the partnership between the two countries and bringing the two peoples closer together,” she added.
In addition to this pipeline project, KOICA is currently implementing the Peace Village Project in 30 villages across the northwest, including Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, and Pailin provinces, aiming to promote inclusive and sustainable rural development.
