For Immediate Release
Press Release
On January 26, U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia W. Patrick Murphy along with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, H.E. Dith Tina, inaugurated the Kingdom’s sixth Agriculture Technology Park, located in Mondulkiri province. H.E. Thong Sovan, Governor of Mondulkiri, was also in attendance.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Agricultural Intensification and Nutrition (CE SAIN) which was founded by the Royal University of Agriculture in partnership with the Sustainable Intensification Innovation Lab (SIIL) at Kansas State University in the United States. The Center’s goal is to foster private-sector innovation, agricultural research, education, training and extension, and public-sector capacity building through improved collaboration and knowledge sharing that is focused on improving food and nutritional security in Cambodia.
CE SAIN has collaborated with various institutions to establish Agricultural Technology Parks in economically strategic locations, including parks already located in Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, and Battambang.
“Technology Parks for agriculture, including this new one in Mondulkiri, are hubs for scientists and practitioners to develop, test, showcase, and share high-potential, innovative technologies to sustainably intensify and transform farming systems,” noted Ambassador Murphy. “I’m proud of the support U.S. land-grant universities have provided to these parks, which showcase these innovative technologies to help farmers increase their production and improve their livelihoods.”
“The Ministry applauds the CE SAIN project for its agricultural technology transfer and extension features. We appreciate USAID for the financial support and the Kansas State University for its coordinating role. At the same time, we strongly encourage all stakeholders to integrate sustainability and supply and demand aspects as core components into all future projects to be undertaken,” said H.E Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
“Through CE SAIN, the applied agricultural innovations from science-based research will be made available to local farmers in this Agricultural Technology Park. Students, researchers, private sector and relevant stakeholders have a focal point to interact with farmers to directly hear and act on technological needs of farmers in Mondulkiri and nearby provinces” Rector of Royal University of Agriculture, H.E Dr. Ngo Bunthan said.
Since 2017, USAID CE SAIN has set up demonstrations of 28 agricultural technologies at the parks, engaged 263 individuals to conduct research and demonstrations, and hosted 5,026 individual visits.
###
For more information, please contact::
Dr. Lyda Hok
Director of CE SAIN
Email: hoklyda@rua.edu.kh