For the fiscal year 2026, the Cambodian government has significantly increased its expenditure on the development of the crop production chain, allocating approximately 30,257.6 million Riels, equivalent to about $7.3 million USD. This substantial allocation marks a doubling of the budget compared to 2025, when the investment stood at 14,144.5 million Riels, or roughly $3.4 million USD. These figures are detailed in the “Budget in Brief, Fiscal Year 2026,” a document recently published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The overall projected expenditure for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for the entirety of 2026 amounts to a substantial 329,956 million Riels, which is approximately $80 million USD. As outlined in the 2026 Budget in Brief, this comprehensive budget is strategically earmarked to implement three primary programs, encompassing a total of 20 distinct sub-programs, designed to foster broad-based agricultural development.
Program 1, titled “Agricultural Production Chain Development,” is allocated 85,804.9 million Riels, approximately $21 million USD. A significant portion of this, 30,257.6 million Riels (about $7.3 million USD), is dedicated to advancing the crop production chain. Further breakdown of this program includes:
* Animal value chain development: 16,226.6 million Riels (nearly $4 million USD).
* Fisheries value chain development: 2,648.1 million Riels (approximately $640,000 USD).
* Forest resource development: 4,519.4 million Riels (approximately $1.1 million USD).
* Development of rare animal and plant value chains: 456.2 million Riels (approximately $110,000 USD).
* Agricultural production chain development initiatives across the capital and provinces: 31,697 million Riels (approximately $7.7 million USD).
Program 2, focusing on “Management of Agricultural Natural Resources,” has a total expenditure of 65,185.3 million Riels, equating to approximately $15.9 million USD. Key components of this program involve:
* Management and development of forest and wildlife resources: 16,688.2 million Riels (about $4 million USD).
* Management and conservation of fishery resources: 19,834.3 million Riels (about $4.8 million USD).
* Sustainable agricultural land resource management: 344.8 million Riels (approximately $80,000 USD).
* Management of agricultural natural resources in the capital and provinces: 28,318 million Riels (approximately $7 million USD).
Program 3, dedicated to “Institutional Management and General Support Services,” commands the largest share of the budget, totaling 178,965.8 million Riels, approximately $43.6 million USD. This expansive program covers a wide array of activities:
* Support for value chain development: 6,805 million Riels (about $1.65 million USD).
* Support for general affairs: 96,319 million Riels (about $23.4 million USD).
* Internal audit activities: 519.9 million Riels.
* Support for agricultural research and laboratories: 3,382.9 million Riels.
* Quality enhancement for rubber research and experimentation: 2,618 million Riels.
* Research and development of agricultural technology: 6,306 million Riels.
* Quality reform of agricultural education and research at the Royal University of Agriculture: 5,944 million Riels.
* Enhancing the quality of agricultural technical education and training at the Prek Leap National Institute of Agriculture: 6,465 million Riels.
* Strengthening the quality of education and human resource training in the agricultural sector at the Kampong Cham National Institute of Agriculture: 3,842 million Riels.
* Strengthening support services and human resource development across the capital and provinces: 46,764 million Riels.
Despite these significant investments, the agricultural sector is projected to experience a modest growth rate of only 0.9% in 2026. This anticipated growth is primarily bolstered by the continued strength and support from the fisheries and livestock sub-sectors. In contrast, the crop sub-sector is expected to exhibit slower growth than initially projected. This slowdown is largely attributed to the residual impact of declining agricultural product prices observed in 2025, which is anticipated to affect production levels in 2026, particularly for staple commodities such as rice, corn, and cassava.
Nevertheless, the crop sub-sector is still expected to maintain positive growth, primarily driven by ongoing efforts to promote both domestic and foreign investment in agricultural product processing. Concurrently, the livestock sub-sector is anticipated to experience a gradual recovery. This rebound is attributed to the Royal Government’s intervention measures regarding frozen meat imports and related regulations, which are designed to stimulate domestic livestock farming, alongside a steady increase in local demand. Furthermore, the fisheries sub-sector is projected to achieve strong growth, largely due to an expected rise in freshwater catches, resulting from effective policies to combat illegal fishing. Investment in aquaculture is also foreseen to gradually recover, bolstered by collaborative efforts from the Royal Government and development partners. These efforts focus on addressing structural challenges, providing crucial financial support, disseminating advanced technical knowledge, and promoting the use of highly efficient and quality fish breeds.
