AKP Phnom Penh, July 28, 2026 --

The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries have reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote agricultural development on demined land, transforming former minefields into productive farmland to strengthen food security and reduce poverty in Cambodia.

The MoU was signed on Tuesday at the Ministry of Agriculture under the presidency of Senior Minister H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch, First Vice President of CMAA, and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries H.E. Dith Tina, in the presence of senior government officials and development partners.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch said humanitarian mine action goes beyond removing landmines and explosive remnants of war, stressing that cleared land must be transformed into productive assets that improve livelihoods and support sustainable economic development.

"Through this memorandum of understanding, we are linking mine action with agriculture to transform land once threatened by mines and explosive remnants of war into safe and productive farmland for cultivation, crop production and income generation," he said.

Under the agreement, the CMAA will oversee the safe clearance of land contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance, while the Ministry of Agriculture will provide technical assistance, agricultural expertise and market support to ensure the land is developed for sustainable agricultural production.

According to the CMAA, more than two-thirds of land cleared of mines in Cambodia is already being used by local communities for agricultural activities.

"The true success of mine action is measured not only by the removal of mines, but by the transformation of cleared land into farms, fish ponds and sustainable livelihoods for our people, in line with the Royal Government's Pentagonal Strategy," H.E. Dr. Ly Thuch underlined.

Cambodia remains among the countries most heavily affected by explosive remnants of war. An estimated 4 million to 6 million landmines and munitions remain from three decades of conflict that concluded in 1998.

Over the past 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, Cambodia has successfully cleared and repurposed 3,541 square kilometres of land formerly contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war.

In the first six months of this year, Cambodia cleared more than 75,000 hectares of land contaminated with mines, cluster munitions, and war remnants, according to a Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) report.

He expressed appreciation to donor countries, development partners, mine action operators, philanthropists and other stakeholders for their continued support of Cambodia's humanitarian mine action programme.

He also called for stronger cooperation among all partners to turn former minefields into productive farmland, replacing fear with opportunity and helping bring greater prosperity to the Cambodian people.

By Chea Vannak