The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre of Cambodia (NPCC) conducted a national workshop on Enhancing Innovation, Productivity, and Quality in Agriculture and Agrifood Business in Phnom Penh, 27–29 September 2017. The workshop was aimed at sharing innovative technologies and best practices in the agriculture sector with Cambodian SMEs.

Secretary of State for the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft Phork Sovanrith presiding the opening session of the national workshop on Enhancing Innovation, Productivity, and Quality in Agriculture and Agrifood Business in Phnom Penh.

The opening session was presided over by Secretary of State for the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft Phork Sovanrith. It was attended by over 100 participants from various government agencies, industry SMEs from different agricultural sectors, agrifood businesses, associations, cooperatives, and academia. NPCC Director Heng Eang gave the welcome address, and NPCC Deputy Director and Program Coordinator Um Serivuth delivered remarks on behalf of the APO Secretary-General.

The APO assigned CEO Dr. Kheng Soon Rodney Wee, Asia Cold Chain Centre, as a resource person to conduct the workshop. Based on the learning points from an APO study mission to Australia in November 2016, Dr. Wee shared recent technologies and best practices to enhance innovation, productivity, and quality in the agriculture and agrifood business sectors in Cambodia. He was assisted by local experts who explained issues and challenges in practical applications of those technologies and best practices in the Cambodian context.

Experts from university and government organizations described how those applications could benefit agriculture and agrifood SMEs in the country. Two alumni of the APO study mission to Australia also shared their learning experiences and observations.

The workshop included a visit to Aspara Rice Processing Facility and Mill, where participants were briefed on the rice industry and the company’s structure and operations. A guided tour was conducted showcasing actual operations, during which participants observed firsthand the innovative methodologies and automation technologies adopted.