CAC News
KAMPONG THOM, Cambodia, Aug. 15 — The Royal Government Working Group for Kampong Thom Province held a consultative workshop Saturday to gather stakeholder input for the formulation of the Kampong Thom Provincial Agricultural Development Strategic Plan 2026–2030, with a focus on transforming agriculture into a modern, productive and higher-value sector.
The workshop was presided over by Vongsey Vissoth, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister, Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Head of the National Government Working Group for Kampong Thom. It was co-organized by the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the Council of Ministers and the Kampong Thom Provincial Administration.
The full-day consultation focused on the province’s agricultural potential, major challenges and possible solutions, while collecting recommendations from government institutions, farmers, businesses, financial institutions, research organizations and development partners.
Discussions centered on six priority value chains: paddy rice, cashew nuts, cassava, rubber and other high-potential crops, aquaculture, and livestock.
About 300 participants attended the workshop, including government officials, provincial authorities, agricultural and fishery communities, private-sector representatives, exporters, logistics and agricultural input companies, financial institutions, universities, research and training institutions, and development partners.
Suy Kokthean, Vice President of the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia (CAC), participated as a speaker and contributed to discussions on the development of the province’s cashew value chain.
The proposed strategy aims to transform Kampong Thom agriculture into a modern agri-business sector by improving productivity, profitability, resilience and sustainability while increasing value addition and contributing to improved livelihoods.
On the sidelines of the workshop, Suy Kokthean also held discussions with Prof. Dr. Matthew McCartney, an economist and researcher associated with the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI), on the development and future prospects of Cambodia’s cashew nut sector.
The consultation is expected to contribute to a strategic roadmap for strengthening Kampong Thom’s agricultural value chains and promoting more sustainable and competitive agricultural development through 2030.
