Cambodia Holds Tri-Sector Meeting on Agriculture, Water, Rural Development, Sharing Progress with Development Partners

A "7th Tri-Sector Meeting on Agriculture, Water, Rural Development" was held on Friday, September 4, 2026, at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, to strengthen cooperation in Cambodia's agriculture, irrigation, and rural development sectors. The meeting was jointly led by H.E. Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; H.E. Thao Cheath, Minister of Water Resources and Meteorology; and H.E. Chhay Rithisen, Minister of Rural Development. The meeting aimed to review and assess the joint progress in developing modern agricultural communities, water-user farmer communities, and model villages, supported by projects such as CASDP, CFAVC, RID4CAM, and SAAMBAT. In addition to leaders, secretariats, and technical officials from the three ministries, representatives from key development partners including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) were also present. The three ministers highly commended the progress and efforts made by the agriculture-water-rural development working group and development partners in building infrastructure and providing technical and financial assistance, which have significantly contributed to the development of rural communities. Key achievements by the tri-sector working group have been implemented through joint interventions in eight provinces: Battambang, Siem Reap, Mondulkiri, Kampong Thom, Kampong Cham, Kandal, Takeo, and Pursat. In the agriculture sector, investments in capital, working capital, agricultural machinery, equipment, agricultural inputs, and post-harvest infrastructure were supported to strengthen production of poultry, greenhouse vegetables, rice, chili, cashew nuts, and bananas, directly benefiting 1,683 farming families in 10 target communities. In the water resources sector, irrigation infrastructure (including dams, canals, reservoirs, pumping stations, and distribution pipes) with a storage capacity of over 1.34 million cubic meters was constructed, enabling irrigation for approximately 4,375 hectares annually and benefiting 3,850 farming families in 14 villages. In the rural development sector, 17 roads totaling 110.86 km were built, benefiting 5,693 farming families in 17 villages, including the training and certification of model villages. Regular maintenance of 9 roads totaling 76.17 km was also carried out. In addition to reviewing progress and achievements, the meeting agreed in principle to select six additional target communities for tri-sector intervention in 2026-2027. Finally, the three ministers reaffirmed their strong commitment to continue strengthening cooperation under the "One Actor System Synergy" approach and enhancing synergy to jointly develop rural communities equitably, sustainably, and inclusively, ensuring effective and efficient service for the national interest. Source: CEN Cambodia