Private sector urged to boost food, agricultural exports
Private sector urged to boost food, agricultural exports
The Council for the Development of Cambodia and the Cambodian Oknha Association held discussions on the export of Cambodian food and agricultural products to France and the European Union.
The meeting was co-chaired by Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice-Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia and Hun Lak, Secretary General of the Cambodian Oknha Association, who led a delegation and an investment firm Smart Eden from France.
According to Lak, Smart Eden is a French firm which reached agreements on exporting three potential agricultural products – milled rice, cashew nuts and dried mango, from Cambodia to France.
While expressing his support for exporting agricultural products to abroad, Chanthol also highlighted the potential for increasing exports of agricultural products such as cashew nuts, mango, sugar, palm sugar and pepper to foreign markets in the European Union bloc.
He further asked the private sector to establish new business cooperation by capturing the export of more Cambodian food and agricultural products to foreign markets.
“Our agricultural products and processed food have potential for exporting to more foreign markets,” he said.
These products have the potential to significantly contribute to Cambodia’s economic growth and development, he added.
“I would like to encourage private companies to explore the possibility of continuing to invest in other export-oriented agricultural products to boost local employment,” he said.
The meeting between the CDC and the Cambodian Oknha Association underscored the government’s commitment to promoting agricultural exports and diversifying Cambodia’s economy.
On Thursday, Laurent Strauch, CEO of Smart Eden signed agreements with private sector Tropicam Fruit and Vegetable Co to export three Cambodia’s agricultural products including rice, cashew nuts and dried mango to markets in France.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Cambodian Minister of Commerce Cham Nimul, who lauded the two companies to establish a new business cooperation in exporting food and agricultural products to the French market.
In the first nine months of 2024, Cambodia exported 445,913 tonnes of milled rice through 54 rice exporters to 65 destinations. The Kingdom exported 228,731 tonnes of milled rice to 26 European countries, earning $186.67 million during the same period.
