S’pore-invested 100sq km agriculture hub launched in northern Kampong Speu

HLH Agriculture (Cambodia) Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Hong Lai Huat Group Ltd, has announced the inauguration of the mixed-use Cambodia-Singapore Agricultural Hub (CSAH) in northwestern Kampong Speu province, as well as the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) to help attract foreign players to invest in the project.

Covering 100sq km in Oral district, the CSAH was inaugurated on the night of February 18 at a ceremony attended by many major investors, a considerable portion being from Singapore.

The project was designed by prominent Singaporean architectural firm Swan & Maclaren Architects, which divided the land into 16 distinct areas designated for farming, animal husbandry, animal feed production, private land, shared accommodation, diversified business centres, mining, industry, solar power, construction materials, among others.

HLH Agriculture representative Ryan Ong Jia Ming said the CSAH would be developed in three phases, adding that Swan & Maclaren Architects’ design would help make the project an important area to serve for agriculture, living and doing business.

He said a good part of the hub would also be reserved for open areas, green areas, reservoirs and roads for transportation, transforming it into a “leading eco-agricultural city” in the Kingdom.

“As a Singapore-listed company, Hong Lai Huot Group Limited has many years of experience in the large-scale real estate market and real estate development in Singapore and Cambodia.

“We are committed to bringing high-level skills and expertise to development in Cambodia,” Ong said.

On the occasion of the inauguration, Hong Lai Huat Group and SMF virtually signed an MoU to help increase and enhance the agricultural sector and business investment opportunities in Singapore for the CSAH.

Leng Kheang, the group’s head of public relations, said that after receiving the economic land concession from the government in 2008, the company cleared the land, installed road and water infrastructure, planted cassava, and set up cassava processing plants that have already exported tapioca starch.

“At present, the company has prepared the location and infrastructure system almost completely. So far, the company has spent more than $30 million on studies and arrangements at the site,” he said.

“We want to attract more local and foreign investors, especially Singaporeans, to invest there.”

CSAH’s location is favourable in terms of weather, environment, transportation and many other metrics, Kheang indicated, noting that the project is close to major thoroughfares such as national roads 3, 4, 41, 44 and 51.

With more than 400 workers present at the CSAH site, the project could be completed in “the next few years”, barring major obstacles, he said.

CSAH is the group’s third development project in the Kingdom, after its first, D’seaview in Sihanoukville, and its second, a joint venture for Royal Platinum in collaboration with Royal Group of Companies Ltd.