Funds are part of a yearlong program to alleviate poverty and

provide greater access to educational and vocational television

programming

HENG CHIVOAN

Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Long Visalo and Japansese Ambassador Katsuhiro Shinohara.

THE Japanese government on Thursday signed

an agreement with Cambodian officials to provide ¥369 million (US$3.4

million) in development aid for improvements in food production and

television programming in the Kingdom.

The one-year project was signed by Long Visalo, secretary of state for

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Japanese Ambassador Katsuhiro

Shinohara.

Some ¥330 million will be given to the Ministry of Agriculture,

Forestry and Fisheries to bolster agricultural production, while ¥39

million will fund new television programming for Cambodia's TVK network.

Long Visalo said to date, Japan has given ¥3.45 billion for agricultural development projects.

"This project will provide fertiliser to poor farmers," he said after the signing ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Shinohara said the funding aims to increase the production of rice, maize and cassava by supplying farmers with fertiliser.

"Poverty reduction remains a big challenge in Cambodia, especially in

the rural areas, where more than 90 percent of people are living," he

said. "It is crucial to develop the agriculture sector in order to

generate income for poor farmers."

Nhean Chok, an assistant to Minister of Agriculture Chan Sarun, said

the government was targeting poor rural families  in order to alleviate

poverty by increasing crop production.

"In this project we will receive 2,200 tonnes of fertiliser, and each family will receive 50 kilograms." 

Shinohara said Japan will also provide access to more than 400

television channels from their national broadcasting corporation NHK,

which will include educational, documentary, cultural and technology

programming.