Phnom penh: An Indian business delegation led by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), along with 25 Indian businesses in cashew processing, buffalo meat export, and the rice sector, is visiting Cambodia from Sept. 8 to 9 to seek business partnerships.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the delegation's visit is aimed at exploring collaborations in agro-industries with a particular focus on cashew sourcing from Cambodia, tie-ups for cashew processing, buffalo meat exports to Cambodia, and opportunities for establishing value-added industries in the rice sector.
The visit is facilitated by the Embassy of India with a view to further strengthen bilateral trade relations by realizing the potential synergies in the agro industries.
On Sept. 8, the Indian delegation had a productive meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Both sides shared insights on respective strengths in the agriculture sector as well as their priorities. They concurred that there exists a lot of synergies for cashew sourcing from Cambodia, where the production is touching 1 million tonnes annually. The two sides are also required to work together for buffalo meat exports and to collaborate on processing in the rice sector. It was agreed to work closely for mutual benefit.
In the afternoon, the Indian delegation held a B2B interaction with Cambodian businesses at Shangri-La Hotel, Phnom Penh, with more than 100 participants joining from various associations, including the Cashew Nut Association of Cambodia, Cambodia Cashew Federation, Cambodia Livestock Raiser Association, and Cambodia Rice Federation, among others, as well as individual businesses.
The B2B interaction provided an excellent opportunity for businesses from the two sides to discuss potential tie-ups and business deals. The interaction facilitated sharing of potential opportunities and insights regarding the import of raw cashew from Cambodia, export of buffalo meat, warehousing services, logistics, port infrastructure, and shipping lines, among others.
The event was attended by H.E. Khim Finan, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries, H.E. Vanlalvawna Bawitlung, Ambassador of India to Cambodia, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and the Council for Development of Cambodia.
In his address, Ambassador Vanlalvawna highlighted the opportunities for trade and investments between India and Cambodia in the agroindustry sector and encouraged businesses from both sides to take advantage of the occasion and increase business interactions. He also pointed out the recent reforms in Goods and Services Tax by the Government of India and invited Cambodian business leaders to utilize the opportunity.
For his part, H.E. Khim Finan underlined the business opportunities for collaboration between India and Cambodia in the agro sector, especially in cashew, rice, and spices. He also emphasized the importance of modern agricultural cooperatives for the livelihood of farmers in terms of new ideas, skill building, and technology transfer.
On Sept. 9, the Indian delegates are making a field visit to Kampong Thom province organized by the Cambodia Cashew Federation. The field trip includes a visit to Kampu Nut Cashew Processing factory in Taing Kork district, Santuk Agriculture Cooperative in Santuk district, Asia Cashew Alliance, and Cashew Industrial Park in Kampong Svay district to understand warehousing and drying yards and logistics.