Chea Vanyuth / Khmer Times

Synopsis: MAFF minister encourages partnerships to stabilise market access for local farmers while ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality Cambodian rice for the purchasing companies.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) Friday secured a new rice supply agreement worth $2.4 million between two modern agricultural communities and a green company.

The two agricultural cooperatives signing the contract farming are Preah Netr Preah Meanchey modern agricultural cooperative in Banteay Meanchey province and the rice modern agricultural cooperative in Ek Phnom district, Battambang province.

The deal was signed in the presence of MAFF Minister Dith Tina in Banteay Meanchey province, representatives of the agricultural cooperatives and others.

Under the contract farming, the two agricultural cooperatives will ensure the supply of nearly 10,000 tonnes of fragrant rice over the next four months this year.

Tina said that despite difficult circumstances, agricultural production continues to move forward, pushing and encouraging farmers to form agricultural cooperatives with support from the ministry.

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is ready to support farmers, especially through modern agricultural community mechanisms that provide comprehensive support in terms of market, capital, technology, and cost reduction,” Tina said.

Under the Ministry of Agriculture’s Cambodian Agricultural Diversification Project, nine modern cooperatives across Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Kampong Thom, and Siem Reap have recently secured loan agreements, which provide essential capital for financing infrastructure like warehouses, harvesters, and rice mills.

This partnership aims to stabilise market access for local farmers while ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality Cambodian rice for the purchasing companies, he said.

According to MAFF, the modern agricultural cooperatives model is the ministry’s primary mechanism for providing farmers with guaranteed markets and fair pricing, access to necessary capital and technology, significant reductions in production costs, and massive infrastructure investment.

The ministry aims to build a resilient and competitive agricultural sector that can withstand market fluctuations and climate challenges.

Published Date: January 5, 2026