FAS personnel visit a feed distributor in Siem Reap, Cambodia as part of a CAST Cambodia project oversight mission. The team learned how the sales representative for Agrimaster, a buyer of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal, gives customers technical assistance on animal nutrition and management as a way to promote their products.

A newly constructed aquafeed plant—the first in Cambodia to produce high quality fish feed, will start production in June. The plant will incorporate U.S. soy into fish feed for the ASA WISHH Commercialization of Aquaculture for Sustainable Trade (CAST) Cambodia project.

CAST, a USDA Food for Progress funded project, will accelerate production of high-demand fish species for the Cambodian market and develop a lasting aquaculture industry. The five-year CAST project is a prime example of WISHH’s enterprise-driven development approach. A key aspect of the project strengthens local production of high-quality feed and fish. CAST makes it possible for Cambodia’s private sector and universities to work closely with U.S. soybean growers and businesses, as well as academic and non-governmental organizations.

Last week, officials from USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) visited Cambodia to see the progress of CAST activities and had the opportunity to spend time on a fish farm, hatchery and different markets where fish are sold into the distribution network.

They were also able to visit the first aquafeed plant, newly constructed by project partner, Agrimaster, a leading producer in swine and poultry feed and an importer of U.S. soybeans and soybean meal.

International Program Specialist William Shields and Agricultural Attaché Megan Francic (FAS/Ho Chi Minh City) oversee the ASA WISHH program’s implementation of the project.

The FAS officials met with CAST Chief of Party Jim Hershey and Operations Consultant Sambath Sak, and together they gave a program update to the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Administration.

The team met with other organizations working on aquaculture and received a briefing on the CAST baseline study, which is surveying over 1,000 fish farmers and other businesses in the freshwater fish aquaculture value chain.