The Philippines is turning to Cambodia to help meet the demand of a growing population, as part of the government’s push to strengthen ties with the Southeast Asian country, according to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel.

In a statement on Wednesday, Sept. 10, Tiu Laurel said the country is considering the prospect of exporting more agricultural goods such as rice, fish, meat, and vegetables from Cambodia.

He said this would help meet the needs of the country’s rapidly growing population, which now exceeds 112 million, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Tiu Laurel said welcoming more Cambodian agricultural goods into the domestic market will not only enhance the resiliency of the country’s food supply but also improve the trade relationship between the two regional peers.

Tiu Laurel met with his Cambodian counterpart, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Dith Tina, to strengthen agricultural cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting, which took place during the state visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to Cambodia, zeroed in on agricultural trade, food security, and market access for farm products.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Tina expressed optimism that Cambodia’s exports to the Philippines would increase this year.

The minister specifically pointed to Cambodia’s premium aromatic rice, which is gaining strong demand in Manila and other urban areas.

As of Sept. 4, Cambodia has exported 2,430 metric tons (MT) to the Philippines this year. Last year, rice arrivals from the Southeast Asian country 3,460 MT.

The Philippines has so far imported 2.95 million MT of rice, with Vietnam accounting for 2.35 million MT.

During the meeting, both Tiu Laurel and Tina reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensure mutual food security and promote sustainable trade between their countries.

Tiu Laurel said this month’s meeting was a “step forward” to agreement signed earlier this year focusing on agricultural trade, cooperation, and knowledge transfer.

In February, the Philippines and Cambodia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on agricultural and agribusiness cooperation during the state visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to Manila.

The agreement aims to spur investments in Cambodia’s agriculture sector, especially rice production, and explore trade opportunities in vegetables and meat. It also covered technical exchange and training.

The MOU also outlined collaboration in animal feed development, animal health protection, agricultural planning, irrigation management, and agricultural marketing systems. 

Both Cambodia and the Philippines agreed to explore a potential rice trade cooperation as part of the agreement, including trade in vegetables and meat.

Trade between the two countries reached $105.69 million last year, reflecting a 31 percent increase from $80.50 million in 2023, of which $20.40 million was attributed to agricultural products.