PHNOM PENH: On October 5-6, 2023, the Cambodian Minister of Ministry of Agriculture, Dith Tina, met with government officials and business leaders from several countries in Malaysia to discuss major investment projects in the agricultural sector.

On October 5, Minister Tina met with Ichiro Miyashita, the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Hunting and Fisheries. They discussed Japan's long-standing support for Cambodian agriculture, and Minister Tina encouraged Japanese investors to invest in processing agricultural products for export to Japan and other international markets.

Later that day, Minister Tina met with representatives of the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) to discuss US investment opportunities in Cambodia's agricultural sector. He encouraged US companies to co-invest with existing private sector, research institutions, and educational institutions to help increase farmers' profits through market assurance.

On the morning of October 6, Minister Tina attended the ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry. He also met with Datuk Seri Haji Mohamad bin Sabu, the Malaysian Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, to discuss cooperation between the two countries.

In the afternoon, Minister Tina attended the 8th ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting on Sanitation. The meeting agreed to issue a joint statement in which China committed to expanding the volume of agricultural exports from ASEAN to domestic markets. China aims to import $150 billion worth of agricultural products from ASEAN in the coming years.

Minister Tina's meetings in Malaysia were productive and resulted in a number of potential investment projects in the Cambodian agricultural sector.

These investments will help to modernize and commercialize the agricultural value chain, boost farmers' incomes, and increase agricultural exports.