Ahead of the April 1-30 second national decennial agricultural census, linked officials are set to undergo final training sessions nationwide from March 27-30, Minister of Planning Chhay Than has said.
Than made the remarks at a February 15 meeting on the processes and execution of the once-in-a-decade nationwide agricultural census at the planning ministry, the Ministry of Information reported on February 16.
On the agenda were preparations concerning census centres, regional officials and assistance, inspectors, interviewers, and the relevant paperwork.
The training will seek to imbue census officials with the skills and competencies needed to conduct informational interviews and effectively collect data from agricultural units of all kinds and sizes in every corner of the Kingdom.
The minister said the census will provide key up-to-date data and inputs to inform the development of policy regarding agriculture, socio-economic matters, climate change and the environment, as well as the wellbeing of Cambodians.
The survey will also yield new insights for the reassessment of the government’s economic development initiatives, the National Strategic Development Plan, National Poverty Reduction Strategy, and Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals Framework 2016-2030, he said.
He affirmed that the 2023 census would be conducted with technical support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and fully financed by the government.
The Cambodian population is estimated at more than 17 million, encompassing 3.9 million households, of which 2.7 million (roughly 70%) are engaged in agriculture, Than said.
