What

Rice related, there's not much to lead by. So let's jump into what are mere snippets from Cambodia's rice news.

Xinhua (Jul. 11) reports on exports:

'Cambodia exported 271,500 tons of milled rice in the first six months of 2018, down 5.9 percent from 288,500 tons over the same period last year, according to the latest report released on Tuesday'.

Without the Phnom Penh Post, it's the Khmer Times providing the press. There was this (Jun. 29):

'With demand in foreign markets on the rise and its price increasing, the government is encouraging farmers to start planting a variety of fragrant rice known as ‘Sen Kro Ob’, which was named best rice in the Kingdom last year'.

And an article (Jul. 5) on insuring the rice crop:

'Ny Lyhoung, general manager at Forte Micro Insurance, told Khmer Times they started offering crop insurance in 2014 in the provinces of Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Battambang, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey, and that now about 100 farmers have taken out policies with them.
“Our insurance products here mostly target rice in the rainy season. We have policies that insure farmers against droughts and floods.”
Mr Lyhoung said they are planning on expanding beyond rice in the near future.
He said, on average, farmers tend to insure 2.5 hectares of paddy field'. 

The Khmer Times (Jul. 9) also noted:

'The Thai Ministry of Commerce has issued a statement asking exporters from the country to refrain from using Angkor Wat imagery in the branding of their products'. 

Surge

So over the wider region and it's rice reports.

The Bangkok Post (May 10):

'Export prices for rice surged to a near four-year high in Vietnam this week due to strong demand, while slow buying interest put pressure on prices of Indian rice.
The threat of floods also raised the prospect of Bangladesh stepping up purchases.
Vietnam's 5% broken rice prices rose to US$455-$460 a tonne, their highest since August 2014, versus $445-$450 last week.
"Prices continue to rise on stronger demand and tight supplies," a Ho Chi Minh City-based trader said'. 

Prices are up year on year, I believe a 10-15% increase, let's hope this trickle downs to the farmers. 

Bangkok Post (May 26) lists a number of export agreements for Thai rice and includes the latest rice trade figures:

'From January to May 22, Thailand exported 4.276 million tonnes of rice, up 2.6% year-on-year, with a value of $2.182 billion, up 23.3%'. 

Sweet 'n sour

Phnom Penh Post (Jul. 16) comes up with the goods on rubber:

'Cambodian rubber exports surged 21 percent during the first half of the year, compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Sunday.
Local producers exported 84,419 tonnes of rubber during the first six months of this year, an increase of 14,376 tonnes compared to a year earlier, said Pol Sopha, director-general of the Rubber Department at the Ministry of Agriculture. Total rubber cultivation was also up, at 436,299 hectares.
Sopha said the price of rubber lowered during the first six months of the year, with the median export price on natural rubber falling 18.98 percent year-on-year to $1,434 per tonnes, he said'.

Then again, on June 20 the Phnom Penh Post has an article which says more or less nothing, probably the future standard?

'Despite being known fondly in the Kingdom as “Pursat oranges”, the green and yellow fruits Cambodians have come to love are actually grown in Battambang province'.

Khmer Times (Jul. 6) looks at pepper:

'Production of Kampot pepper, the first Cambodian product to obtain geographical indication status, is expected to drop this year due to heavy rains throughout the year, according to producer associations.
Kampot pepper output is forecast at 70 or 75 tonnes in 2018, compared to the 80 tonnes that were produced last year, according to Ngoun Lay, president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association'.

Geo-indication. The Khmer Times (Jun. 26):

'The pomelo grown in Kratie’s Koh Trong commune is now the third Cambodian product to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) status, following in the footsteps of Kampot pepper and Kampong Speu’s palm sugar.
...
Bun Ban, director of Koh Trong Eco-Tourism Community and vice president of the Koh Trong Pomelo Producer Association, said having GI status for the pomelo will promote Kratie as a tourist destination, and boost living standards in Koh Trong.
He said Koh Trong pomelo sells for $2 to $3.5 a kilogram, with farmers being able to harvest it twice a year.
Mr Ban explained that Koh Trong commune, known for its ecotourism sites and white-sand beaches, produces a sweeter pomelo.
“It stands out because it is sweet rather than sour and has no seeds when ripe,” Mr Ban said.
The Koh Trong Pomelo Producer Association is now focusing on bringing more farmers into the association, expanding the area used to grow pomelo and selling the fruit in supermarkets and convenience stores in Phnom Penh, Mr Ban added'.

More diversified. The Khmer Times (Jul. 5):

'A programme launched last year to boost agricultural production in eight key provinces is expected to produce more than 5,000 tonnes of chemical-free vegetables in 2018, twice as much as last year’s production, according to the Ministry of Agriculture'.

Neglect

The Bangkok Post (Jul. 11) notes that durian sales are going banana's:

'A subsidiary of Alibaba Group has signed a purchase deal for at least 800,000 durian from farmers' cooperatives in three eastern [Thai] provinces next year at above market prices'. 

But not all rosy. Bangkok Post (Jun. 15):

'Thailand is mulling retaliatory measures against Indonesia after the latter banned imports of Thai longan and durian during harvest seasons.
...
In 2017, Thailand exported 97,000 tonnes of longan to Indonesia worth US$83.7 million (2.69 billion baht), with shipments of durian amounting to 760 tonnes worth US$2 million'. 

And coconuts are faring less. The Bangkok Post (Jul. 17):

'Thailand is considering a three-month import ban on coconuts to shore up local prices.
...
Amnat Meedang, the representative of coconut farmers on the board, said he was preparing to take legal action against Mr Sontirat [Commerce Minister] for negligence when he failed to take care of the farmers.
Mr Amnat claimed his group had sent a letter to the board, informing it there was no local shortage, at its September 2017 meeting.
But Mr Sontirat had since approved imports of another 500 million fruit, all of which have been delivered. In addition, the minister approved imports of another 50,000 tonnes or 50 million litres of fresh coconut milk'.

The Nation (Jun. 25) had a look at the consequences of Thai government programmes to switch to sugarcane growing:

'As more and more rice farmers switch to sugarcane, health issues and conflict arise over exposure to excessive chemical.
In the past few years, the country has seen a big rise in sugarcane plantations, as the government has seriously nudged rice farmers into considering alternative crops in the face of plunging rice prices. The government policy may, however, have simply led to another big problem. Sugarcane farmers have often used controversial chemical herbicides such as paraquat, which is now blamed for several cases of necrotising fasciitis, commonly known as flesh-eating disease – an infection that results in the death of the body’s soft tissue – and cellulitis, to an excessive level.
...
In 2015, there were just 280,000 rai of sugarcane plantations in Nong Bua Lamphu. But the number has now soared to over 600,000 rai.
Biothai Foundation director Witoon Lianchamroon said the reduction in paddy fields had progressed significantly as efforts to promote alternative crops had received a big boost from the government’s Pracha Rath projects. The government has even offered a Bt2,000 subsidy per rai of paddy fields converted into other types of farmland.
“Among the most promoted alternative crops is sugarcane,” he said. “It should be noted that while palm factories have refused to buy crops from farmers using paraquat, sugar factories have not had such a policy.”
Witoon complained that promoting sugarcane was now hurting the farmers because sugarcane plantations were using a lot of farm chemicals.
“When paraquat for example spreads into the environment, health risks emerge,” Witoon said'. 

So now we are on agro-chemicals. The Nation (May 24):

'The use of commercial agricultural chemicals like paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos will continue to be allowed [in Thailand], but with tighter regulations and controls.
Industry Ministry deputy permanent secretary Somboon Yindeeyoungyuen, as chairman of the Hazardous Substance Committee that made the decision yesterday, said the three main agro-chemicals will not be banned despite demands from various quarters, but the Agriculture Department will have to come up with control regulations within two months.
Somboon said 18 out of the committee’s 24 members approved the continued use of herbicides paraquat and glyphosate, and pesticide chlorpyrifos, but with more restrictions and safety regulations.
...
He revealed that the criteria for the restrictions would be on where these chemicals could be used, the amount of import and distribution, the amount of use and management, and the qualifications of the users.
“The restrictions are intended to promote safe use of these chemicals, as it was clear that many people were harmed by these farm chemicals because of improper and careless use,” he said. Even though paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos have not been banned, Somboon pointed out that the committee had also ordered the Agriculture Department to gather evidence of their impact on people’s health. If the evidence shows these chemicals to be really harmful, the committee can decide to ban them in the future.
...
Meanwhile, 369 organisations released a statement denouncing the Hazardous Substance Committee’s decision and threatened to demonstrate in front of Government House and boycott companies linked to these agro-chemicals. The statement said that the public sector was disappointed by the decision, despite clear scientific evidence of health threats from these chemicals.
They highlighted that some of the committee members have connections with the chemical companies, so their vote could be seen as a conflict of interest and violating the law.
“This conclusion reflected the improper structure of the Hazardous Substance Committee, as the committee is used to protect the interests of the agro-chemicals companies instead of the general public,” Prokchon Usap, coordinator of Thailand Pesticide Alert Network, said. “We do not believe the Agriculture Department can really restrict the use of these harmful chemicals and we would like to urge the prime minister to order a review of this biased conclusion.”

The Nation (Jun. 12) then notes how the conflict has been upgraded:

'The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is investigating the Agriculture Department over allegations that it violated human rights last October when it extended the licences for many companies to sell paraquat.
The extension was approved even though a committee seeking solutions to the risk caused by farm chemicals, and which was chaired by the public health minister, concluded on April 5, 2017 that paraquat should face a total ban before the end of 2019 due to its health hazard....
On May 23, the Hazardous Substances Committee of Thailand decided not to ban paraquat, but instead place restrictions on its use. It has given the Agriculture Department two months to introduce control measures.
That is not enough for critics concerned about the effects of exposure on farmers and consumers'. 

Finally a reference that seems to touch none of the above but seeks to illustrate how the age old habit of rent seeking is still in vogue. The Bangkok Post (Jun. 20):

'Thailand is poised to team up with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to stabilise cassava prices.
...
The department aims to prevent price-cutting competition among the quartet and increase their bargaining power against importer countries.
...
Thailand is the world's largest exporter of tapioca products, controlling more than 50% of the global market. Combined with Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, their total share of the global market is 80%'.