Cambodia, China's Guangxi to cement agricultural co-op

Cambodia and China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strengthening bilateral communication and cooperation in agriculture.

The deal was inked between Lord Reasmey, secretary-general of Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, and Zhang Mingpei, director- general of Department of Agriculture of Guangxi (DAG), under the presence of Cambodian Agriculture Minister Chan Sarun.

According to the MoU, both sides are willing to improve and strengthen the communication on improved crop/plant varieties and technology.

The DAG will send experts to Cambodia, and invite Cambodian agricultural technicians to Guangxi to carry out technical training of integrated pest and disease management, pesticide and fertilizer application, aquacultures, livestock and poultry production, agricultural machinery application, and high-yielding crop cultivation, it said.

"The DAG will also provide the unique crop planting techniques of Guangxi to Cambodia," it added.

Besides, they agreed to establish various platforms to promote agricultural trade and encourage enterprises to communicate by multi-approaches like holding exhibitions.

They also agreed to welcome and jointly facilitate Guangxi's agricultural enterprises and agencies to Cambodia to set up agricultural producing bases, and to carry out agricultural investment and trading cooperation.

In addition, they agreed to carry out communication and cooperation on agro-product quality testing and producing technology, and to set up a batch of agro-ecological demonstration bases.

The MoU is valid for the period of 5 years.

"The agreement will further improve the development of agriculture in Cambodia," Chan Sarun said, expressing profound thanks to China for its full support to Cambodia for developing agricultural sector.

Zhang Mingpei said, "The deal will give broader opportunities for both sides to increase agricultural cooperation."

Meanwhile, Zhang donated 43 vegetable pesticide residue quick- detecting instruments in equivalent to 30,000 U.S. dollars to Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture.

On that occasion, the DAG organized a conference on agricultural promotion cooperation and an agricultural fair at Cambodia's Royal University of Agriculture.

Zhang said the DAG selected 60 kinds of the best products in Guangxi to display at the event. Those included vegetables, fruits, teas, medicinal herbs, silk and cassava.