CAMBODIA OFFERS RI INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE

Jakarta, April 4 (ANTARA) - Cambodia has offered an investment in the field of agricultural infrastructure to Indonesia as part of agricultural development cooperation between the two countries.

The offer was made during a meeting between Indonesian Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono and Cambodian Forestry and Fishery Minister Dr Chan Sarun in Phnom Penh on Friday, the Indonesian embassy in Phnom Penh said in a statement received by ANTARA here on Saturday.

It said Cambodia had also offered farm equipment and seeds to private enterprises in Indonesia.

In the meeting Minister Anton Apriyantono meanwhile had offered capacity development and technical cooperation including aid extension in the form of hand tractors and rice hullers.

The two ministers had agreed to make a memorandum of understanding and set up a Joint Agricultural Working Group with members consisting of senior officials to discuss realization of ideas on the sidelines of an Asean agriculture ministers' meeting.

At the end of their meeting the two ministers signed minutes of meeting at the presence of Indonesian ambassador to Cambodia, Ngurah Swajaya and the Indonesian delegation and officials from the Cambodian ministry of agriculture, it said.

Minister Anton meanwhile had also signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of reseach during his visit to Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.

Cambodia has so far known for its good quality rice which is mostly exported in the form of unhulled rice.

Its rice production in 2008 reached 7.17 million tons while its consumption was only 4.17 million tons leaving a surplus of three million tons.***