Hey, I heard some big news from the top agriculture official today!
H.E. Dr. Ouk Rabun, who heads up the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development, just put out a big call to action. He’s basically telling everyone—the government, aid groups, and private businesses—that it’s time to put the pedal to the metal on trade and investment in Cambodia’s farming industry.
He gave this speech at the opening of the Cambodia Agriculture Forum and Expo 2025 (CAFE25) and said the sector is at a crossroads. Here’s the deal: We’re growing a ton of great stuff (robust production), but we are seriously dropping the ball when it comes to processing it (turning raw goods into finished products) and getting it to international markets. There’s a huge gap there!
Dr. Rabun declared, “We have a super strong base of production, and Cambodia is totally ready to become a major global supplier of processed agricultural goods.” He said that to make this dream happen, we need a complete ecosystem that pushes investment, creates trade deals, and champions new technology, innovation, and financing.
He pointed out why Cambodia is a great bet for this kind of development:
- We have a fantastic location.
- The climate is favorable.
- We already have a solid production system.
- We have a large young workforce.
- And the government is offering sweet tax breaks and trade perks!
He stressed that the CAFE25 event is a super important place for everyone involved to meet up and forge the partnerships we need to make this transformation happen.
He wrapped up by saying that reaching these big goals is going to take a unified effort. We need to focus on building modern farms, increasing our processing capabilities, and strengthening Cambodia’s reputation as a trustworthy source for agricultural products that are high-quality, safe, and sustainable.
Seriously, this sector is a huge deal for the country. It involves about 54% of the population and adds over 16% to the nation’s GDP. So, yeah, we gotta step up!