(Phnom Penh): On 28 August 2026, the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) and the Australian Embassy in Cambodia brought together investors, agribusinesses and developers to showcase investment opportunities under Cambodia's new Agri-Food Industrial Park (AIP) Framework.

Approved by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on 29 May 2026, the AIP Framework aims to accelerate agri-food industrialisation through a private sector-led approach, supported by government, that attracts high-quality investment, creates jobs and enhances value-added processing and export competitiveness.

According to a 2022 study by the Australian Government funded program, the Cambodia Australia Partnership for Resilient Economic Development, establishing just one Agri-Food Industrial Park could contribute up to USD5.1 billion to Cambodia’s economy over 20 years, create more than 100,000 jobs, including over 56,000 jobs for women and help more than 20,000 people leave poverty annually.

Presided over by Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the CDC, today’s information session provided the overview of AIP Framework, including policy objectives, project eligibility criteria, and the AIP Qualified Investment Project (QIP) Plus Support Package, which offers incentives and facilitation measures to attract quality investment.

Sun Chanthol said, “The Royal Government of Cambodia is committed to strengthening the country's competitiveness and attracting investment that supports inclusive and sustainable economic growth, job creation and increased value addition in the agricultural sector. The AIP Framework represents an important milestone in Cambodia's efforts to modernise its agricultural economy, strengthen value chains and create an enabling environment for private sector investment”.

Australia has supported the development of the AIP Framework since 2022, working closely with the CDC, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and a broad range of government and private sector stakeholders.

Derek Yip, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia, said, “Australia is pleased to collaborate with the Royal Government of Cambodia on the development of Agri-Food Industrial Park Framework. It will attract responsible investment and improve the linkages between producers and processors to promote high-value agriculture production. As Cambodia navigates a complex global market environment, strengthening domestic processing can help build a more competitive and resilient agri-food sector, support rural livelihoods and food security and create new market opportunities”.

Agriculture remains a critical driver of Cambodia's economy, providing employment to more than a third of the population and generating more than USD3 billion in exports in the first seven months of 2026. Agro-processing has been identified by the CDC as a priority sector for investment and is a key pillar of Australia’s development cooperation with Cambodia.
=FRESH NEWS