Cambodia approves farm finance scheme targeting over US$30 million in lending
Backed by US$3 million from the Joint SDG Fund, AGRIFIN aims to help 7,000 farmers, with women accounting for at least half.
Cambodian farmers and agricultural businesses could receive more than US$30 million in bank and microfinance loans under a programme approved by Cambodia’s government and the UN on October 25. UN resident coordinator in Cambodia Vladanka Andreeva said the initiative would use US$3 million in development funding to encourage additional lending.
The Agricultural Finance for Inclusive Rural Prosperity (AGRIFIN) programme will channel support from the Joint SDG Fund through the Credit Guarantee Corporation of Cambodia to reduce financial institutions’ lending risks. Approval came during two forums held in Phnom Penh as part of the Cambodia Agriculture Forum and Exhibition 2026.
Andreeva said farmers’ difficulty obtaining affordable credit often leaves them borrowing informally or selling their harvests when prices are low. The financing is intended to cover seeds, machinery, irrigation pumps and storage, as well as activities that add value to agricultural products.
AGRIFIN’s target is to benefit 7,000 farmers across Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey. At least half of those beneficiaries are intended to be women, while women-led businesses will be a particular priority for financing and practical business assistance.
The work will include designing agriculture-specific loans, building farmers’ and cooperatives’ financial management skills, and helping provincial authorities connect projects with lenders, according to Andreeva. She said repayments could fund further loans, with Cambodian institutions helping maintain the financing mechanisms after the programme ends.
