Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina, during a visit to the Chongkran Roy community in Siem Reap province’s Varin district, encouraged the creation of eco-tourism service packages. The community is home to the province’s last evergreen forest.

Tina led a delegation from the ministry and private sector partners to inspect the potential for tourism coupled with agricultural development.

He emphasised the opportunity to attract both domestic and international tourists after their visits to the neighbouring Angkor Archaeological Park. He urged the community to capitalise on their forestry resources, entrusted to them by the ministry, to provide high-quality hospitality services for all visitors.

“The community could organise a tour service package, accommodation, foods, vegetables, fish and meat that were planted and raised naturally for visitors. In addition to rice farming, this proposed venture will provide community members with regular and seasonal income,” he said.

Tina, however, underlined the importance of community cooperation and honesty for the success of this venture. He urged the residents not to exploit the forests for short-term gain, but to preserve the natural wealth for the long-term benefit of all.

Hong Vannak, an economist from the Institute of International Relations at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, also voiced his support for this nature tourism initiative. He believes that this venture can stimulate local economies and aid in the conservation of natural resources.

“If this enterprise is established successfully, it really makes a significant contribution to the economic and tourist sectors in Cambodia. It helps meet needs for nature tourism as Siem Reap is rich in cultural wealth, temples. Therefore, if the community is developed with basic infrastructure such as proper homestays, residents will receive further income from visitors,” he told The Post on June 27.

During the visit, Tina also inspected a cashew plantation in Chi Kraeng district owned by Sophorn Theary Co Ltd. He encouraged the firm to expand cashew cultivation for export, aiming to establish Cambodia as a prominent cashew exporter.

He also advised the company to innovate cost-effective methods for cashew nut processing and to address shared challenges faced by cashew plantation owners such as soil quality, climate change, crop pests and diseases. This would contribute to finding sustainable solutions that benefit all stakeholders.

The government announced in March its ambition to be a leading global exporter of cashew nuts. In 2021, the nation produced 1.18 million tonnes of cashew nuts, outperforming other major producers like the Ivory Coast and India.