Phnom Penh (July 2, 2015) A one-day National Consultation Workshop on “Contract Farming and Cross-Border Agricultural Trade” was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on July 2, 2015. The workshop was to consult stakeholders’ insight on a set of policy recommendations to improve contract farming arrangements and enforcement in Cambodia. 

More than 40 key actors representatives from different stakeholders attended the workshop. Participants highlighted governance issues and difficulties faced by farmers and contracting companies in relation to cross-border contract farming arrangement. Discussions were actives and involved case studies and reviewed government policies with practical and legal experience in contract farming operation in Cambodia. 

H.E. Mr. Sokhan Rithykun, Director General of General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), emphasized that the agriculture sector has been considered to play an important role in fostering growth, reducing poverty and contributing to Scio-Economic development. In short, agriculture is still largely contributed to Cambodia’s economy and will continue to play a fundamental role as important driving force of economic growth and social development over the next decade in spite of Cambodia economic diversification. He added, Cambodia must further pay high attention to this sector without any doubt. 

The workshop is part of the three-year project “Capacity Building for the Integration of CLMV Economies into ASEAN Economic Community 2015”, funded by New Zealand Aid Programme.