Philippines, Cambodia Push for Stronger Agri Trade, Food Security Partnerships
MANILA – The Philippines is looking to deepen agricultural trade and cooperation with Cambodia to boost food security and supply resilience, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Wednesday.
The commitment was highlighted during a bilateral meeting on Sept. 9 between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Dith Tina, held on the sidelines of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Cambodia.
Tiu Laurel said Cambodia’s agricultural exports could complement the Philippines’ growing market demands, driven by its expanding population. These include rice, fish, meat, and vegetables.
“This bilateral meeting is a step forward in fleshing out the agreement signed earlier this year by the Philippines and Cambodia on agricultural trade, cooperation, and knowledge transfer,” Tiu Laurel said.
Minister Dith expressed optimism about increasing exports of Cambodia’s premium aromatic rice to the Philippines, particularly in urban centers like Manila where demand continues to rise.
As of Sept. 4, Cambodia supplied only 2,430 metric tons (MT) of rice to the Philippines—just a fraction of the 2.9 million MT total imports, with Vietnam remaining the top supplier at more than 2.3 million MT.
Tiu Laurel assured his counterpart that the Philippines is ready to welcome more Cambodian agricultural products in the coming months.
In February, the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Agricultural and Agribusiness Cooperation during the state visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to Manila. The pact seeks to strengthen investments in Cambodia’s agriculture, especially the rice industry, while also exploring opportunities for trade in vegetables, meat, and technical training exchanges.
NPO News Team | PNA-PR
