Cambodia passes draft law on plant protection

The Cambodian Council of Ministers has approved a draft law on plant protection and phytosanitary measures at a session presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen, according to government spokesman Phay Siphan.

The Cambodian Council of Ministers has approved a draft law on plant protection and phytosanitary measures at a session presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen. - Phnom Penh Post./ANN

The bill is consistent with government policies and strategies, the pertinent domestic legal frameworks, and regional and international conventions and agreements on plant protection and phytosanitary matters, Siphan wrote on Facebook.

The document is designed to guide food safety trends in agriculture along with the associated improvements, bolster agricultural production and exports, and ensure sustainable development in the global economic integration process marked by fierce competition, he said.

The draft law sets out phytosanitary and other protective measures and controls for plants and plant health, including fail-safes against the transmission and spread of pests; safeguards for plant resources; and frameworks to encourage the sanitary and safe production of greater volumes of agricultural products at higher levels of quality, he added.

In the interest of farmers, he said, the document aims to provide a significant boost to agricultural development by, among other things, reducing economic losses caused by pests affecting the agricultural production systems.