Lies and Statistics

Possibly getting lost in the current day all-encompassing reporting on Covid-19, Stop Golden Rice Network on their Facebook page posts (Apr. 4) their call to IRRI:

'IRRI on its 60th anniversary continues to boast about its supposed impacts on reducing poverty and increasing food security. Entering the third year of implementing its Strategic Plan for 2017-2025, IRRI, whose claim is to be the most trusted source of knowledge for the global rice industry and custodian of genetic resources, has set out plans to solve problems by doing ‘deep research’, further widespread adaptation of innovations and technologies and policy interventions on the rice sector .
However IRRI, the self-proclaimed “home of the Green Revolution in Asia”, is becoming increasingly irrelevant, as it has failed miserably in its mission to “improve livelihoods and nutrition, abolishing poverty, hunger and malnutrition among those who depend on rice-based agri-food systems.”Although the Green Revolution did actually raise production substantially, it was only for a short period of time and at a heavy cost.
IRRI’s next phase of activities would further entrench the hold of corporations on the rice industry. Dubbed as the Gene Revolution, IRRI is now concentrating on the widespread adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops, specifically Golden Rice. Based on the ‘4th industrial revolution’ model, IRRI’s research agenda is now tapping into ‘Big Data’, which will be of great use to corporations striving to earn more profits. It is also pushing for the ‘modernization’ of agriculture, where farming without farmers would be the new trend.
With the theme “Going Beyond Rice”, IRRI is gearing for another phase of its agenda to further the interests of huge agrocorporations through its Six Lies:
LIE #1: IRRI delivers through research excellence
TRUTH: IRRI’s top-down approach has eroded farmers’ knowledge and genetic diversity
....
LIE #2: IRRI is an honest advisor for the global rice industry
TRUTH: IRRI has imposed anti-small farmer policies across the globe
...
LIE #3: IRRI has strong relations with its community
TRUTH: IRRI has violated the rights of its workers and peasants
...
LIE #4: IRRI sets the bar for sustainable rice systems
TRUTH: IRRI has poisoned the people and destroyed the environment
...
LIE #5: IRRI is a wise steward of resources
TRUTH: IRRI has ushered in corporate control of seeds and agriculture
...
LIE #6: Improve livelihoods and nutrition, abolishing poverty, hunger and malnutrition
TRUTH: IRRI has created widespread food insecurity
...
OUR RESOUNDING CALL!
On the anniversary of IRRI’s six decades of operation we are renewing our call for an agriculture that puts farmers at the center and gives value to agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty. Conditions are favorable to heightening our struggle for food sovereignty - the power of people and their communities to assert and realize the right to food and to produce food and to fight the power of corporations and other forces that destroy the people’s food production systems and deny them food and life is growing. Let us demand that states exercise food sovereignty to protect, promote and develop the food sovereignty of the people from which they draw their power.
On IRRI’s 60th anniversary: No more lies, not one more year for IRRI!

Luckily I'm able to summarise in the above; it's a very damming report on IRRI's past and exposes its' weaknesses ahead. Should we consider IRRI's silence, an agreement with the above?

Health

Let's look at more politics, this time how capitalism is working. Not for us.

Guardian (Mar. 12) has another take on Monsanto, apparently they finance independent research:

'Monsanto secretly funded academic studies indicating “very severe impacts” on farming and the environment if its controversial glyphosate weedkiller were banned, an investigation has found.
The research was used by the National Farmers’ Union and others to successfully lobby against a European ban in 2017. As a result of the revelations, the NFU has now amended its glyphosate information to declare the source of the research.
...
Bayer said farmers around the globe rely on glyphosate to provide enough food for the world’s growing population. But campaigners claim Monsanto has defended the product by ghostwriting research papers for regulators and using front groups to discredit critical scientists and journalists. In 2017, the Guardian revealed that EFSA based its recommendation that glyphosate was safe on an EU report that copied and pasted analyses from a Monsanto study'.

More disclosures. The Guardian (Mar. 29):

'The US agriculture giant Monsanto and the German chemical giant BASF were aware for years that their plan to introduce a new agricultural seed and chemical system would probably lead to damage on many US farms, internal documents seen by the Guardian show.
Risks were downplayed even while they planned how to profit off farmers who would buy Monsanto’s new seeds just to avoid damage, according to documents unearthed during a recent successful $265m lawsuit brought against both firms by a Missouri farmer.
The documents, some of which date back more than a decade, also reveal how Monsanto opposed some third-party product testing in order to curtail the generation of data that might have worried regulators.
And in some of the internal BASF emails, employees appear to joke about sharing “voodoo science” and hoping to stay “out of jail”.
The new crop system developed by Monsanto and BASF was designed to address the fact that millions of acres of US farmland have become overrun with weeds resistant to Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weedkillers, best known as Roundup. The collaboration between the two companies was built around a different herbicide called dicamba'.

Mongabay (Apr. 1) gives us a different insight, this time from Brazil where pesticide companies are getting healthy tax breaks:

'Imagine starting out the year having to pay your property taxes, your car taxes or any other taxes. Imagine getting to the supermarket and receiving a 40% discount on shampoo and 30% on tomato sauce. Imagine being able to take out a bank loan with interest well below that of the market
This is more or less what companies that manufacture and sell pesticides operate in Brazil, protected by a package of benefits that, counting just tax exemptions and reductions, add up to nearly R$10 billion (US$ 2.2 billion) every year, according to an unprecedented study carried out by ABRASCO, the Brazilian Association of Collective Health, executed by researchers from the Oswaldo Cruz foundation and the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro.
The amount that the Brazilian government fails to collect because of tax exemptions on pesticides is nearly four times as much as the Ministry of the Environment’s total budget this year (R$2.7 billion, or US$ 600 milllion) and more than double what the nation’s national health system [SUS] spent to treat cancer patients in 2017 (R$4.7 billion, or US$ 1 billion)'.

Panic

Before the madness, the Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 2) looked at where the rice market was heading.

'Cambodian rice exports to international markets grew sharply by more than 21 per cent in the first two months of this year despite fears of the Covid-19 pandemic causing global concern.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhorn released the data last week, noting in the first two months of 2020, Cambodian rice exports to international markets reached 136,499 tonnes, an increase of 21.34 per cent compared to the same period last year.
China is the leading market for rice from Cambodia, with a market share of 37.43 per cent, followed by the European market at 30.31 per cent, Asean region at 18.48 per cent and other destinations at 13.78 per cent.
According to the data, exports to the Chinese market in the first two months of 2020 were 51,092 tonnes, an increase of 17.58 per cent compared to the 2019’s 43,452 tonnes.
Exports to the European market reached 41,373 tonnes, a 21.79 per cent increase from 33,969 tonnes.
The Asean region stood at 25,231 tonnes, up 39.77 per cent from 18,051 tonnes, and other regions hit 18,803 tonnes, up 28.7 per cent from 14,609 tonnes.
...
According to a CRF report, in 2019, Cambodia exported 620,106 tonnes of rice to international markets, down 0.97 per cent from 626,225 tonnes in 2018'.

But then life as we know it changed. Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 8) notes early last month how panic might be creeping in:

'As fears of Covid-19 drive people to stockpile food, some fear supermarkets may run out of essential commodities like rice.
To avert this scenario, the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) has announced that it will be supplying an extra 100-500 tonnes of rice to shops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng on Sunday told The Post that the additional rice will ensure the price of the commodity doesn’t skyrocket.
Yeng urged Cambodians to remain calm. “Please don’t panic. We have plenty of rice. Together, all our members have over 400,000 tonnes of rice in stock. We will make it available at an affordable price,” he said'.

Then as the Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 19) notes, this supplying local markets has helped:

'The Green Trade Company and the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) on Wednesday said increasing the supply of milled rice in the local market has helped stabilise prices as the country faces the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, a significant number of people were reported to be stockpiling staple goods like rice in fear that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus could lead to shortages.
CRF vice-president Chan Sokheang told The Post that to prevent shortages of important commodities like rice, the government and the private sector were working together to increase shipments of the grain to local shops by 100 to 500 tonnes'.

But it still doesn't mean that the future stocks could be enough, so the Khmer PM announces as follows. The Khmer Times (Mar. 31):

'Prime Minister Hun Sen has ordered a stop to all exports of white rice and paddy from April 5 until further notice. Speaking at the news conference after the parliamentary session yesterday, Mr Hun Sen said the decision was made to safeguard local supply in response to COVID-19 food shortage fears'.

So no exports. What happens? The Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 31):

'As a ban on white rice and paddy exports is set to go into effect this weekend, Vietnamese traders seize the moment to buy in bulk, buoying prices beyond what local rice millers and traders are able to pay.
Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday ordered the suspension of white rice and paddy exports from Cambodia from 11:59pm on April 5, on the grounds of securing domestic supplies while Covid-19 is continuing to spread in Cambodia.
He told the Ministry of Economy and Finance to look into the possibility of disbursing funds to millers to buy paddy from those who had previously sold it to traders in neighbouring countries.
...
State-owned Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) encourages all companies and rice millers to continue to purchase OM 5451 and IR 85 (504) paddy from farmers at market prices following the ban, it said in a press release on Monday.
ARDB executive director Kao Thach said it has always supported the agricultural sector by disbursing money to rice millers so that they can purchase additional paddy for stock.
“When the government sets a moratorium on exports, the ARDB must work hard to help the government achieve its plan.
“We are currently preparing the bank’s capital for disbursement to helping rice millers buy paddy from farmers,” Thach said.
He said 70-80 per cent of ARDB’s capital is currently allocated to the rice sector.
Last year, the Kingdom exported around 2.15 million tonnes of paddy to Vietnam, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data shows'.

Meanwhile, the bellweather of rice exports, had initially this response.  The Bangkok Post (Mar. 3):

'Rice prices are expected to rise until the middle of the year as global consumers are beefing up their stockpiles, with China unlikely to rev up its rice exports for food security in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of Thai Rice Exporters Association, said global rice demand has surged since the deadly virus outbreak, leading rice prices to increase by US$30-50 since early in the year.
"People, particularly in the US, Europe and Asia, are staying home, while China, which controls a massive rice stock of up to 120 million tonnes, has halted exports after shipping 3 million tonnes priced about $100 per tonne lower than Thai grains last year," he said'.

But a month later they are more cautious it seems. Bangkok Post (Apr. 2):

'Pimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office under the Commerce Ministry, said her office has been monitoring global rice markets during the pandemic, with many key rice exporters such as India, China and Vietnam halting shipments to ensure sufficient food domestically.
Ms Pimchanok said Thailand is unlikely to experience any food or rice shortages, as domestic consumer demand accounts for just 50% of total production.
"Exports represent only 32% of the country's rice production every year, with domestic consumption accounting for 50% and the remainder slated for inventory," she said. "If export demand increases and domestic consumption rises as more people stay home, a shortage is unlikely.
"Our existing rice stocks can accommodate domestic rice consumption for up to six months until the next annual harvest season. Nevertheless, the ministry has requested the private sector help maintain stocks to ensure adequate domestic supply."

The FAO Rice Price Update for April notes the market in the upswing, but for how long?

'The FAO All Rice Price Index (2002-2004=100) rose for the third successive month in March 2020, reaching 232 points, up 1.7 percent from February and 4.7 percent above its year-earlier level. Indica prices drove the increase, as Japanese purchases provided only mild support (0.7 percent) to March Japonica values, while the Aromatic Index fell by 3.1 percent to a three-year low of 198 points, on weak Near Eastern demand'.

Lacking

Then a lengthy article from the Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 20) which delves in the climate change adaptation projects of the Khmer nation:

'Dust swirls in the distance of vast rice fields flanking north-connecting National Road 6. It signals the start of the dry season in Cambodia. There is no human activity, as the heat is stifling.
March to June are the hottest months. The balmy days can hit 43 Celcius, triggering the brisk sale of air conditioners and fans in the cities. In the provinces though, farming communities brace for the harsh weather.
Every year, the drought is said to be longer than the previous year although rainfall is projected to rise in wet seasons. Most times the outcome is different.
...
Agriculture infrastructures have been built in farming provinces, with many in the pipeline but these architectures lack insight.
Seen as game changers to rice production, with the likelihood of raising output, irrigation canals are only so good as being connected to a water source.
As of 2008, rice farming constituted 2.6 million hectares out of 3.31 million hectares of arable land.
Permanent crops and rubber plantations made up less than one million hectares.
Out of the total land, only seven to eight per cent is irrigated while 10 per cent is supplementary irrigated. The remaining 80 per cent relies on rainfall.
In 2017, 28.5 per cent of the national climate budget was spent on irrigation, the highest allocation compared to other climate-related segments such as road improvement, climate-affected livelihood, and climate disaster preparedness and management.
...
However, this data is a rough estimate procured from various sources, as the authorities claim its disclosure is sensitive, even though the rice sector forms the nation’s second largest export market.
The fact that the farming industry teeters on the onslaught of climate change with secretive figures, questionable budget allocations for climate projects and the lack of initiative to see them through, is somewhat damning.
In Cambodia, about 75 per cent of the population is involved in the agriculture sector. The sector contributed 32.1 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011.
Having said that, the Climate Change Strategic Plan (2014-2023) identifies agriculture as being the most affected by it, with 90 per cent of losses from extreme events related to crop harvest failure.
And this impact is closely connected to water resources shortage.
It also threatens Cambodia’s food security, and hits on the poverty level as crop damage and lower wages can push the highly indebted communityfurther below the line.
Given the gravity of the impact, the government has been gradually increasing climate change expenditure.
Its proportion to the GDP, the expenditure rose marginally to one per cent in 2017 from 0.9 per cent a year ago, underpinned by larger external and domestic fundings.
In absolute terms, total climate expenditure rose 23 per cent to 912 billion riel ($221 million) in 2017 from 770 billion riel in 2016.
Unfortunately, only 10 per cent was spent on the agriculture and fisheries sectors.
Despite the increased allocation, the sum is paltry compared to the total national budget of 20,556 billion riel in 2017, and when balanced against the actual benefit to combating climate change.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Climate Public Expenditure Review 2017 (CPER) revealed that once climate change relevance weights are applied to the budget, it only constituted 3.2 per cent of the total public expenditure, the same level in 2016. It dipped from 4.3 per cent in 2015.
...
The limited ownership of climate action plans in the ministries and its implementation is perhaps related to underfunding, suggests the mid-term review of Climate Change Strategic Plan in 2019.
For instance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ technical working group, which was created to develop the climate action plan, was unclear of its function after the plan was approved.
...
Moving forward, with the unpredictable weather wreaking havoc in the agriculture sector, coupled with weak climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, more farmers might just turn in their tools than risk taking a gamble year after year'.

Sliced

Looking farther afield, let's start with the Khmer Times (Apr. 3) summing up the nations exports, including rice:

'Agricultural commodities amounting to US$2.9 million were exported to foreign markets in the first quarter of this year, a 20 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

A report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries showed that the agricultural commodities exported comprises rice, dry sliced cassava, fresh cassava, cassava starch, cashew, fresh banana, soybean, mangoes, pepper and rubber.

The main products of export during the period were paddy rice (849,382 tons), dry sliced cassava (864,620 tons), fresh cassava (689,122 tons), milled rice (230,948 tons), and cashew nuts (121,976 tons)'.

Is it just me or is there something wrong with the above?  Seems like a paltry sum for all what's listed.

But anyway rice 1, cassava 2, cashew 3.

Cashew?

The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 26):

'The Ministry of Commerce has set up a technical-working group to study and compile the Kingdom’s draft cashew nut policy in an effort to promote its production and export, it said in a press release on Tuesday.

The working group comprises thirteen members, including representatives from the ministry and several NGOs.

“The working group is tasked with facilitating meetings and the planning and drafting of an updated advisory report on cashew nut production.

...

Cambodia exported some 202,318 tonnes of cashew nuts last year to foreign markets, up nearly 100 per cent from 2018’s 101,973 tonnes, a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report said.

Khan Samban, director of the ministry’s Department of Agro-industry, told The Post last month that the strong growth in exports is due to the ministry’s simplification of export procedures and the commodity’s improved standards.

“Our cashew nuts have a good taste and quality, so we’ve received increased demand from foreign countries,” Samban said.

He said he expects cashew nut prices to be around 5,000 or 6,000 riel per kilogramme in the early harvest season this year'.

The Khmer Times (Mar. 30) chimes in:

'A representative of a cashew growing association has said that market prices for the fruit have dramatically decreased in the last fortnight, blaming border restrictions and a reduction in demand.

Oum Ourn, head of Sambo Prei Kuk Cashew Nut Association in Kampong Thom province, speaking to Khmer Times said that the 380 farming families that he represents are struggling to deal with a nearly 50-percent reduction in what they can sell cashew nuts for.

Before COVID-19’s detrimental effects on the agriculture sector, on average, cashew nuts normally fetched from between 4,000 riel (about $1) to 5,000 (about $1.25) a kilogramme (kg), but now the fruit is priced at around 2,500 riel ($0.62) per kg'.

Spotted

Ok, but I'm missing rubber ...

The Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 10) has a comprehensive article on the crops outlook:

'The government has reduced taxes on rubber exports to minimise the impact of a fall in the international price of the commodity.

A sub-decree signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday stipulates that exports of rubber valued under $1,400 per tonne are not taxable. Shipments valued between $1,400 and $3,500 per tonne will be taxed $25 to $200 per tonne.

...

Cambodia exported 282,071 tonnes of rubber last year, a 30 per cent increase from 2018’s 217,501 tonnes, according to official figures. The commodity reeled in $377 million in revenue last year, up 32 per cent from 2018’s $286 million.

A total of 406,142ha of rubber were planted last year, of which 247,113ha were harvested'.

Adding to the info, there's this concerning Laos from the Vientiane Times (Mar. 2)

'The export value of rubber from Laos has increased, while the market price of the commodity is also rising, meaning the commodity is enjoying renewed commercial success.

Laos earned US$153.4 million from rubber exports in 2017, rising to US$168.1 million in 2018 and to almost US$217.5 million last year, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

But the crop fell to second place as an agricultural export earner after topping the list in 2018. The export value of buffalo and cattle hit the top spot last year[!].

In 2017 the price of rubber slumped to 3,000-4,000 kip per kg due to an oversupply on the global market, but is now selling for 5,000-6,000 kip, according to agriculture officials.

The export value of rubber is increasing as the number of rubber trees being tapped increases.

But low market prices in recent years caused some growers to abandon the crop in favour of other commodities.

Hundreds of hectares of rubber trees have been cut down to make way for other crops.

Many rubber growers, especially in the northern provinces, have been struggling because of the low market price.

Last year, Laos received a larger order from China for the purchase of rubber grown in Luang Namtha province.

In 2017, China ordered 10,000 tonnes of rubber Laos, but this year the quota increased to 20,000 tonnes, local commercial authorities reported.

Even though China is suffering disruption due to the Covid-19 outbreak, rubber shipments from Luang Namtha to China are proceeding as normal.

Laos currently has almost 300,000 hectares of rubber trees under cultivation including company-owned plantations and trees owned by local growers, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported.

The rubber price in Laos peaked at 15,000-20,000 kip per kilogram in 2010, with major export markets being China, Vietnam and Thailand.

The export value of rubber sold by Laos to China last year hit US$96.66 million and US$119.9 million worth of rubber was sold to Vietnam, but no figures were recorded for Thailand in 2018 and 2019'.

Warm 

Then, also mentioned were mangoes, an upcoming crop. The Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 3) gives an overview:

'Signatures of Asia, a local exporter, plans to begin shipping mangoes to Europe and Canada in the near future.

Before exporting the fruit, the firm needs to find packaging facilities that meet Europe and Canada’s quality standards, Signatures of Asia general manager Chan Pich said.

“We have clients in Europe and Canada that want to buy fresh Cambodian mangoes. They said they want to sell our mangoes in their stores because they taste great,” Pich said.

“We are now looking for advanced packaging plants that comply with European and Canada’s hygiene and quality standards,” he said.

“Cambodian mango tastes great but, unlike Thailand or Vietnam, Cambodia lacks packing facilities,” he said.

The company is aiming to export 3.5 tonnes of fresh mangoes per week to the European Union and Canada.

...

Kirirom Food Product (KFP) Co Ltd sales manager Mao Khunthea told The Post on Tuesday that her company exports dry mango to China, Europe, Australia, and Thailand.

“We sell the mango at about 800 riel per kilogram,” she said, noting that her company uses about 50 tonnes of mangoes every day.

Last year, Cambodia exported 58,162 tonnes of fresh mangoes to six markets – Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, France, Russia and Hong Kong.

There are more than 100,000ha of mango farms in the country. Kampong Speu, Battambang, Kampot and Banteay Meanchey provinces are known for having the best mango in Cambodia'.

And there's more. The Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 12):

'Cambodian mango is proving popular among Korean consumers, the Korean Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (Kotra) said, encouraging more local firms to export the fruit to the East Asian country.

Speaking with Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon on Tuesday, Kotra director-general Jongsoo Shin said Koreans greatly enjoy Cambodian mangoes.

“Fresh mango from Cambodia enjoys a warm welcome in South Korea. This will help attract more Korean investors to Cambodia,” he said.

Exports of Cambodian mangoes to South Korea begun in January after Korean authorities approved shipments of the fruit'.

But there is also a change coming. The Khmer Times (Apr. 12):

'The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has issued measures to prevent the drop in price of mangoes, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the ministry.
...
The price of mangoes strongly decreased during this period because some processing factories have been temporarilyy closed, causing an oversupply during the harvest season and fewer buyers.
According to the ministry, the price of mangoes currently is 320 riels a kilogramme, down from 800 riels in 2019. The Ministry said that currently about 20 to 30 tonnes of mangoes are bought every day by companies.
There are more than 100,000 hectares of land planted with mango trees in Cambodia, mostly in Kampong Speu, Kampot, Battambang, and Banteay Meanchey provinces'.

Average

Straight into Cambodia's rice business.

The Kingdom is still looking at last year's data. The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 9) looks at rice export data:

'Cambodia exported 50,450 tonnes of rice worth $39 million to the international market in January, down 15.39 per cent compared to the same period in 2018, Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) secretary-general Lun Yeng said on Sunday.
Yeng told The Post that Cambodian rice exports to the European market last month decreased 5,269 tonnes (22 per cent) year-on-year since the EU Commission introduced safeguard measures last year on rice imports from the Kingdom.
Last month’s rice exports to China decreased 3,664 tonnes (20 per cent) year-on-year, he said.
“Cambodian rice exports to the EU market are set to increase in the coming months, thanks to a drop in taxes on rice imports from €175 to €150 [$190 to $160] per tonne, which will take effect in mid-February,” he said.
Customs duty to the EU for last year stood at €175 per tonne and will be reduced to €150 this year and to €125 next year'.

While the Khmer Times (Jan. 28) is still looking at production. And then export:

'Some 7.9 million tons of wet season paddy rice were harvested in 2019 while the milled rice export was reported at 620,106 tons, registering a year-on-year decrease of about 1 percent.
China is the Kingdom’s biggest rice market purchasing 248,105 tons, followed by France and Gabon with 81,905 tons and 36,663 tons, respectively. Though the quota to China is 400,000 tons for 2019, exports fell way below target for the second consecutive year.
The dry season rice production, the report stated, were achieved at 528,136 hectares, equal to 114 percent of the yearly target.
Cambodia produced 7.4 million tonnes of paddy rice in 2018, a 3.5 percent increase. Total production in 2018 was only 88.47 percent of what the government expected, adding that 2.4 million hectares were harvested out of 2.7 million hectares of available agricultural land.
On average, each hectare produced 3.07 tonnes of rice, the report says, noting that in 2006 the average yield was only 2.6 tonnes'.

Slightly odd, it's foreign press that report on the following. Vietnamplus (Feb. 11): 

'Cambodia shipped 50,450 tonnes of rice worth 39 million USD to foreign markets in January, a year-on-year decline of 15.39 percent, according to the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF).
CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng said that exports to the European market, the largest importer of Cambodian rice, in the month fell 22 percent year on year to 5,269 tonnes since the EU Commission introduced safeguard measures last year on rice imports from the country'.
However, Lun Yeng said rice exports to the European market are set to increase in the coming months, thanks to a drop in taxes on rice imports from 175 EUR (190.99 USD) per tonne last year to 150 EUR this year'. 

Further afield. Reuters (Feb. 18) reports on Vietnam's rice-related data. But they are for the year ahead:

'Vietnam expects to export 6.75 million tonnes of rice this year, up 6% from last year, Vietnam Food Association Vice Chairman Do Ha Nam said on Tuesday.
“Demand is seen rising this year as Vietnamese rice is more competitive in terms of prices,” Nam told Reuters, adding that the coronavirus epidemic in China had had no impact on shipments of Vietnamese rice to China'.

Tons

Looking at other crops, the Khmer Times (Feb. 18) has a mention of hybrids, but in maize:

'The Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries has approved the first Cambodian hybrid maize, named CHM01, for public use throughout the Kingdom'.

More data from the Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 3); that of cassava:

'The price of cassava in provinces bordering Thailand remains steady during the 2019-2020 harvest season which is currently about 60 per cent complete, officials said.
Cambodia’s cassava is mostly grown in Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Kratie and Kampong Thom provinces. The crop is planted in May and harvested between November and the end of February each year.
Battambang provincial Department of Commerce director Kim Hout said on Monday that the average price at which the province’s farmers sold their crops this year was a little higher than last year.
Fresh cassava goes for 250-260 riel (6.1-6.4 US cents) per kilogramme while dry ones sell for 700-720 riel, Hout said.
He said about 80 per cent of Battambang province’s cassava is exported to Thailand, while another 20 per cent is sold to Vietnam by traders.
During this harvest season, the province has 112,543ha cultivated with cassava, with an average yield of 26.43 tonnes per hectare, a report from the Battambang provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said'.

The Khmer Times (Jan. 27) on rubber:

'Cambodia exported 282,071 tons of dry rubber in 2019, an increase of 30 percent from 217,501 tons in the year before, according to Agriculture Ministry on Sunday.
The Southeast Asian nation made a gross revenue of roughly 377 million U.S. dollars from exports of the commodity last year, up 31.8 percent from 286 million U.S. dollars in a year earlier, said the ministry’s annual report.
“A ton of dry rubber averagely cost 1,336 U.S. dollars in 2019, about 19 U.S. dollars higher than that of 2018,” the report said'.

The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 20) adds data to our rubber knowledge, but only concerning January 2020:

'Cambodia exported 27,445 tonnes of rubber worth $40 million in the first month of the year, up 17 per cent compared to the same period last year, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries official Khuon Phalla told The Post on Thursday.
Phalla, who is the director of the General Directorate of Rubber’s Department of Administration and Legislation under the ministry, said production also increased last month.
An increase in global demand was the main driver of the industry’s growth last month, he said, as China remains the largest market for the Kingdom’s rubber.
The average price last month was $1,433 per tonne, up $207 from December. “I expect that the price of rubber will continue to increase over the next few months,” he said'.

Khmer Times (Feb. 15) has data on last years mango:

'Cambodia exported more than 58,000 tonnes of mangos to various international markets in 2019 and is mulling the expansion and diversification of the exports'.

Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 26) has news on possible expansion of Cambodia's coffee plantations:

'Bangkok-based Charoen Pokphand Group Co Ltd (CP) has expressed interest in growing coffee in Cambodia to meet the Thai market’s growing demand.
In a meeting with Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak on Friday, a CP representative said even though Thailand is one of the world’s biggest coffee bean producers, demand is outstripping supply for the domestic market.
The representative said his company is conducting a feasibility study on the coffee crop in Cambodia.
...
Though the Kingdom’s coffee export figures for last year are currently unavailable, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data shows that Cambodia exported 2.25 tonnes of coffee beans in 2018, a 15.14 per cent drop from 2017’s 2.66 tonnes.
In 2016, the Kingdom exported 2.25 tonnes of coffee beans, data showed'.

Thailand was listed as the number 25 in coffee production (2018, source), hardly one of the world's biggest producers.

Finally, there was this positive-for-trading news. The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 19): 

'The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has announced that rice exporters and agro-product exporters can now attain sanitary and phytosanitary certificates at one window service centres to streamline the process'.

Crucial 

Non-rice and non-Khmei. 

The Vientiane Times (Jan. 29) reports on expansion of organics:

'The Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Department is planning to build a permanent market for use by organic farmers, in Nonghai village, Hadxaifong district.
The market would set up a formal system to regulate supplies and prices, and provide farmers with a convenient point of sale for their produce.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr Lien Thikeo told the media the ministry is handing over responsibility to the department for the construction of the market.
...
The farmers’ market currently takes place at Lao-ITECC two days a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Department officials said the market encourages farmers to produce safe and chemical-free products to ensure the health of consumers.
There are now 17 organic farmers’ groups with a total of 313 household members, farming 175 hectares of land.
Six of the groups come from Hadxaifong district, six from Xaythany district, two from Xaysettha, and one each from Sikhottabong, Naxaithong and Pakngum districts. Together they grow 1,000 tonnes of produce a year.
These groups look set to continue to expand, securing new members and aiming to grow healthy vegetables on arable land around Vientiane'.

An interesting poster on non-timber forest products.

CCL Laos:

'A really interesting poster from The Agrobiodiversity Initiative Project which underlines the importance of Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) for upland families in Laos. The poster highlights the importance of NTFP for household as well as the importance of bush fallow ecosystem which play a crucial role as nearly 30% of NTFPs harvested and 50% of all income from NTFP sales come from shifting cultivation fields and fallows. Overall, the paper demonstrates once again how NTFP value chain constitutes a key component for a sustainable and fair development of northern uplands.#NTFP #LaoUplands #sustainabledevelopmentto download the poster:https://www.researchgate.net/…/339301368_Non-Timber_Forest_…'.

Blocks

Then the big (and messy) business. 

The Guardian (Feb. 6) on chlorpyrifos:

'The world’s largest manufacturer of chlorpyrifos, an agricultural pesticide linked to brain damage in children, has announced that it will stop producing the chemical by the end of the year.
The announcement on Thursday by Corteva, the corporation formed from a Dow Chemical and DuPont merger, comes after the Trump administration reversed regulatory plans to ban the pesticide and rejected the scientific conclusions of US government experts.
Chlorpyrifos has been widely used on corn, soybeans, almonds, citrus, cotton, grapes, walnuts and other crops, but research has repeatedly found serious health effects in children, including impaired brain development. Environmental groups have long advocated for its ban, and the state of California, which grows the majority of the nation’s fruits and nuts, defied Trump and banned the chemical last year.
Corteva said it was ending production due to declining sales. Susanne Wasson, the president of Corteva’s crop protection business, told Reuters it was a “difficult decision”.

PAN Europe (Feb. 11) has an interesting exposé on German labs dealing with studies on glyphosate:

'Fraud in German laboratory casts additional doubts on the 2017 re-approval of glyphosate and on the entire EU pesticide safety evaluation procedure. The Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology (LPT) Hamburg that was found recently to commit fraud in a series of regulatory tests had also carried out many of the tests in the glyphosate re-approval dossier in 2017, new study reveals. At least one in 7 glyphosate regulatory studies, with the certificate “Good Laboratory Practice” (GLP), come from LPT Hamburg, the same laboratory that was caught manipulating GLP toxicity studies by replacing dead animals with living ones, changing tumour data to "inflammations" and generally distorting the data to please its clients. It is highly concerning that GLP studies are still considered the golden scientific standard by regulatory authorities who seem to believe that cheating under GLP is impossible.
PAN Europe asks the European Commission to discard the studies carried out by LPT laboratory from the glyphosate dossier currently undergoing re-evaluation at EU-level, and from any other dossier'.

Then the Guardian (Feb. 20) again, this time of the profits of selling hazadorous pesticides:

'The world’s biggest pesticide companies make billions of dollars a year from chemicals found by independent authorities to pose high hazards to human health or the environment, according to an analysis by campaigners.
The research also found a higher proportion of these highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) in the companies’ sales in poorer nations than in rich ones. In India, 59% of sales were of HHPs in contrast to just 11% in the UK, according to the analysis.
The data from Phillips McDougall, the leading agribusiness analysts, are from buyer surveys focused on the most popular products in the 43 nations that buy the most pesticides. It was obtained and analysed by Unearthed, a journalism group funded by Greenpeace UK, and the Swiss NGO Public Eye.
...
Unearthed used a list of 330 HHPs compiled by Pesticide Action Network International (PAN), based on judgments from authorities such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, European Union bodies, the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants and the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
The FAO and WHO classify some but not all of these pesticides as HHPs on their list and a spokesman for BASF said the PAN list was “inflated”. Keith Tyrell, director of PAN UK, said: “Efforts to strengthen the UN’s approach are consistently blocked by the pesticide industry.”

Challenge

With the new year starting, there are a couple of articles looking at the year past and trying to see what the future could bring.

Khmer Times (Jan. 3) provides an excellent review of last year and future prospects. In short: the sector has lost track, production was slightly off, while growth in trade was non-existent. Possibly as China becomes the new market leader for rice exports, the market might see an upswing. Positive mentions also to organics:

'Cambodia’s rice sector is faced with the challenge of strengthening the quality of its fragrant rice, said Song Saran, president of the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF), the recently appointed head of the milled rice export promotion body. “We have to compete,” he says. “The issues we can see include climate change, lack of pure rice seeds and sometimes lack of capital to buy paddy rice,” Mr Saran said.
Cambodia experienced a decline in milled rice exports to the EU this year because of tariff duties imposed by the European Union on Cambodia’s white Indica rice. However, the loss from the EU bloc, the biggest market for the country’s milled rice, has been replaced with increasing export to China and other new markets.
...
Cambodia shipped 174,397 tonnes of rice to the European market during the period, down 26 percent, the report read.
On the other hand, Cambodia exported 205,358 tonnes of milled rice to China during the first 11 months of 2019, up 34 percent over the same period last year, according to the report.
...
Cambodia has a quota of 400,000 tonnes that China allows Cambodia to export. According to the CRF, the quota will be implemented from early 2020.
Last week, the Chinese government allowed 18 new local rice millers to export to China, increasing the number to 44 rice millers exporting to China.
Cooperation with China is good, enabling export amounts to increases by 34 percent as of November 2019 compared with the same period last year, Mr Saran said, adding that almost of 80 percent rice export to China is fragrant rice.
Cambodia’s rice ranks fourth among rice exporters to China out of 12 countries, according to Saran.
...
Soeun, from Ministry of Agriculture, said that the ministry is preparing a policy for organic agricultural practices. We are applying the organic standard of Cambodia,” he says.“Cambodia’s organic rice ranks fifth in the EU and we are committed to competing to become number two or number three there,” Mr Saran said.
For Saran, although facing a number of issues that need to be addressed and enhanced, Cambodia’s ambition of exporting 1 million tons of milled rice would be within reach.
“We designate fragrant rice for promoting exports, which we register under the trademark Malys Angkor. Our rice is quality – our fragrant rice has won the world’s best rice award four times,” Saran said'.

Another attempt is made by Asia Times (Jan.) which sets the tone thus:

'Cambodia’s beleaguered rice sector is both literally and figuratively drying up, with drought parching crops and commercial banks refusing liquidity to farmers and millers in need of loans to stay afloat'.

Predicting future climate seems questionable, most of the analysis concerns the past:

'While the rice sector has long faced problems of underfunding and black market dealing, and is increasingly being impacted by environmental change and degradation, its woes have been compounded by European Union (EU) tariffs imposed last year on rice imports from Cambodia.
...
While the total tonnage of Cambodia’s rice exports fell by less than 1% last year, chiefly because of the uptick of exports to China, official data shows that the total financial value of rice shipments fell by 4.3%, down to US$501 million. In other words, exports to China aren’t nearly as profitable as exports to the EU'.

Looking back I see quite a few publications with similar conclusions. Asean Today (Jan. 13) for instance:

'Following the tariff introductions, rice exports from the Kingdom to the EU fell by 30% in 2019. Buyers are using falling exports as an excuse to drive rice prices down.
Choeun Socheat, a rice farmer in Cambodia’s Battambang province, told VOA that rice prices are down to US$232 per ton, US$60 less than the previous year’s rate. “The dealers told us that the price is low because they are buying rice to keep at the rice mills, but not for exporting abroad.”

However when looking at rice price changes (FAO, December 2019 report), export prices for Vietnamese rice (comparable?) were down 17-18% for the 12 months preceding, whereas FAO's own indices are down 5-7%.

So the loss of the aforementioned 4.3% in overall exported value doesn't seem too bad.

One should also note that exports are only a fraction of total production. The Asia Times article f.i. notes:

'The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported last year that some 44% of Cambodia’s rice exports are undocumented and smuggled out of the country, chiefly because millers cannot afford to purchase the entire harvest and growers look to informal brokers for quick cash'.

Let's conclude with what the Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 2) reports on 2019:

'Rice exports reached 620,106 tonnes last year, a drop of almost one per cent from the 626,225 tonnes the previous year, the Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) said.
The total value of exports dropped more than four per cent last year from 2018, the Kingdom’s rice industry body added.
Coupled with the 1.43 per cent decline between 2018 and 2017, the modest drop marks the second consecutive year that exports have fallen.
According to a CRF report obtained by The Post on Wednesday, the total value of the Kingdom’s rice exports were valued at some $501 million last year, down 4.3 per cent from $524 million in 2018.
A breakdown of the data showed that the 202,990 tonnes to the Chinese market accounted for 40.73 per cent of rice exports, followed by 13.41 per cent, or 83,164 tonnes, to the Asean region and 13.84 per cent, equal to 85,847 tonnes, to other markets.
According to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data, Cambodia also exported 2.15 million tonnes of rice to Vietnam last year'.

Shipped

It should be noted that Cambodia is not the only rice exporter faced with a downward trend. 

The Bangkok Post (Jan. 16):

'Thailand's rice exports in 2020 are forecast to drop to their lowest in seven year, the country's rice exporters group said on Thursday, as the strong baht reduces the competitiveness against other shippers.
Exports from Thailand, the world's second-biggest exporter of the commodity after India, are expected to drop to 7.5 million tonnes this year, the Thai Rice Exporters Association said. That would be the lowest volume since Thailand exported 6.6 million tonnes of rice in 2013.
The grim forecast came after Thailand fell short of its initial 2019 target by exporting 7.8 million tonnes of rice last year'.

Reuters (Jan. 13) though notes that Vietnam is bucking the trend though only slightly:

'Rice exports from Vietnam, the world’s third-largest shipper of the grain, rose 4.2% in 2019 from a year earlier to 6.4 million tonnes, customs data showed on Monday.
However, revenue from rice exports last year dropped 8.3% to $2.8 billion, the Customs Department said in a statement'.

In other rice related news from the region, Thailand's Nation (Jan. 8) has a report on a particular niche:

'Netizens have widely shared a phenomenal photo of a pink rice field in Phitsanulok, wondering if it was for real. It certainly is.
The pink rice field is owned by Naresuan University alumnus Jaturong Chomphusa, who turned his back on an office job three years ago to become a farmer'.

Then an interesting find a vdo from Laos on a labour saving small-scale, low tech rice harvester.

Jumping

Back to Cambodia and some competitive crops.

Cassava. The Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 9) notes an upswing for cassava growing.

'Cambodia exported 3.29 million tonnes of cassava last year, up 27 per cent from 2018’s 2.59 million tonnes, a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report said.
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon wrote via Facebook that the Kingdom’s export of agricultural products last year reached more than 6.93 million tonnes, which he estimated to be worth more than $1.9 billion'.

It contrasts with maize. The Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 7):

'Total corn exports dropped by more than 40 per cent on 2018 due to last year’s drought and pest damage, industry insiders said.
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries data showed that last year the Kingdom exported 119,993 tonnes of red corn – down 41.23 per cent on 2018’s 204,184 tonnes.
The exports were mostly to Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan, according to the data'.

Not so closely involved in competition, there's also news from f.i. rubber growing. 

Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 31):

'The Kingdom’s rubber exports saw a 24 per cent increase over the first 11 months of last year compared to the same period in 2018, data from the General Directorate of Rubber obtained by The Post on Tuesday showed.
Pol Sopha, the director-general of the General Directorate of Rubber, who declined to comment on the reason behind the jump, told The Post on Tuesday that the Kingdom exported 233,677 tonnes of rubber with an export value of $311 million during the period.
The data also showed that 434,552ha of rubber had been planted in the first 11 months of last year, with more than 230,000ha of rubber having been harvested'.

Further rubber news from the Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 12):

'The General Directorate of Rubber announced a joint study on family-owned rubber plantations in three provinces to better understand how growers have responded to the sharp drop in rubber prices over the past nine years.
The average cost of rubber has fallen from around $4,600 per tonne in 2011 to about $1,350 per tonne in early 2020, according to its report'.

Bangkok Post (Jan. 20) though exemplifies that increasing rubber cultivation (as in Cambodia) is not the broader global trend:

'Rubber farmers are set to endure another year of low rubber prices as global uncertainty and a strong baht drive importers to turn off the taps.
The Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) forecasts a gloomy outlook for rubber prices in Thailand this year due to tepid demand from China and increased domestic supply in Thailand'.

Involved

Fruitier news then. The Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 20):

'As many as 300 tonnes of mango are processed every day in the Kingdom for export, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said in a report.
It said the industry is dominated by five companies which together use 250-300 tonnes of the fruit per day.
Heng Sreng, the general manager of Boeung Ket Planting and Industrial Co Ltd, one of the companies highlighted in the report, told The Post on Sunday that it buys between 100 and 140 tonnes of mangoes per day at around 750 riel ($0.18) per kilogramme.
“Recently, we have had a chance to buy a lot of mangoes. There is a large supply now as companies in Vietnam and Thailand have temporarily stopped orders due to the holidays [Chinese and Vietnamese New Year],” he said.
Last year, Boeung Ket Planting and Industrial exported between 300 and 400 tonnes of dry mango products, mostly to China.
...
Last year, the Kingdom exported 58,162 tonnes of fresh mango to six markets – Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, France, Russia and Hong Kong.
Ngin Chhay, the director-general of the General Directorate of Agriculture at the ministry, said Cambodia produces four million tonnes of mango annually, with 100,000ha dedicated to the crop'.

Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 5) on banana's:

'The export of yellow bananas to international markets last year reached 157,812 tonnes, most of which was exported to China and the rest to Vietnam and Japan, a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report showed.
There is no data on 2018 banana exports to international markets as it mostly comprised of informal exports to Vietnam. However, the ministry said Cambodia exported some 10,000 tonnes to international markets in 2018.
Hun Lak, the director of Longmate Agriculture Co Ltd, which plans to invest in 1,000ha of banana plantations in Kampot province by 2021, said over 400ha of plantations were harvested last year – with 10,000 tonnes of yellow bananas going to China'.

Nuts then. Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 13):

'Cambodia exported some 202,318 tonnes of cashew nuts last year to foreign markets, up nearly 100 per cent from 2018’s 101,973 tonnes, a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report said.
Khan Samban, director of the ministry’s Department of Agro-Industry, told The Post that the strong growth in exports is due to the ministry’s simplification of export procedure and the commodity’s improved standards.
“Our cashew nuts have a good taste and quality, so we’ve received increased demand from foreign countries,” Samban said.
He said he expects cashew nut prices to fall to around 5,000 or 6,000 riel ($1.23 or $1.48) per kilogramme in the early harvest season this year. “Cashew nut yield will increase this year due to an increase in cultivation.”

Oddly, news on Vietnam - the world leader in cashew growing and exporting - but from the Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 24):

'Vietnam's cashew sector aims to earn US$4 billion in export turnover next year.
According to the Vietnam Cashew Association (Vinacas), the sector will focus on deep processing, improving quality and diversifying products towards realising the goal.
This year, the sector imported over 1.5 million tonnes of raw materials, mostly from Africa, to meet its processing and production demand.
Mergers and acquisitions have also taken place this year with more and more large-scale enterprises operating in the industry, the association said.
By the end of November, Vietnamese businesses had shipped more than 418,000 tonnes of cashew abroad for almost $3 billion, while this year’s targets are 450,000 tonnes and $3.5 billion'.

Then the Phnom Penh Post (Jan. 6) on pepper growing:

'Pepper exports more than doubled last year despite Kampot pepper exports having dropped more than 27 per cent year-on-year, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said.
Total pepper exports reached 3,693.25 tonnes last year – up 53.17 per cent from 2,411.20 tonnes over the same period in 2018, the ministry’s data showed.
Meanwhile, Kampot pepper exports fell from 69 to 50 tonnes over the same period, the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) said.
KPPA president Nguon Lay said farmers harvested 125 tonnes of Kampot pepper last year but were only able to export less than half of that due to “the lack of new export markets”

Noteworthy, Kampot pepper also gets reported on by the BBC (Jan. 16).

Finally in other news, Monsanto related. Reuters (Jan. 17):

'Bayer could be close to settling more than 75,000 cancer claims related to its Roundup herbicide, with mediator Ken Feinberg on Friday saying he was “cautiously optimistic that a settlement will ultimately be reached.”
Feinberg said the settlement negotiations were complex and difficult. Asked about a timeline, he said it would be “premature to state that a settlement is near or will be reached.
”Feinberg declined to discuss terms of the possible settlement, but told Reuters the group of plaintiffs’ lawyers involved in the negotiations had been expanded, suggesting a potential wide-ranging settlement'.

Safety

Quite a lot to share this time round, so without any due, let's see what IRRI (Dec. 18) has come up with:

'After rigorous biosafety assessment, Golden Rice “has been found to be as safe as conventional rice" by the Philippine Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry. The biosafety permit, addressed to the Department of Agriculture - Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), details the approval of GR2E Golden Rice for direct use as food and feed, or for processing (FFP).

Reading the full press announcement, one notices that the Filipino procedure was just a formality it seems, If countries such as Australia, Canada, US and NZ have already verified the product, why should the Philippines lag? 
Because the prior mentioned countries will probably never ever consume the product, so their verification was easy. as suspected their approval opens the door for more approvals without carrying out significant checks. Just another step in failing to openly  discuss the strategy of giving GMO rice approval.

Range

Onwards.

There seems to be problems concerning prices on offer to farmers. The Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 11):

'Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday appealed to rice millers and paddy buyers not to lower prices and to secure better rates for farmers facing difficulties in the early harvest season.
The Cambodian Rice Federation (CRF) said the low prices were due to an influx of poor quality paddy in some areas'.

It doesn't seem to have helped. VOA (Dec. 20) entirely objectively notes this:

'The Cambodian Agriculture Ministry rejected criticism circulating on social media about farmers getting low prices for their rice in the paddy-producing provinces of Battambang, Pursat and Banteay Meanchey.
The ministry released a statement on Tuesday claiming that farmers receiving low rice prices were selling poor quality rice and that prices were still within an acceptable range. Ministry officials were also working with rice mills to procure as much rice as possible from farmers.
...
However, Yaing Saing Koma, an agricultural expert, said that rice prices were low mainly because rice export to European Union is declining.
The rice export to the EU has dropped from around 170,000 tons in 2018 to 120,000 tons in 2019 for the first eight months, according to representatives of rice millers. The rice sector was also hit with tariffs for exports to the European Union earlier this year, after Italy triggered safeguard mechanisms.
“The rice exports to the EU are dropping badly so it affects the profit of the rice milling companies. They are afraid to stock a lot of rice for export,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Cambodia Rice Federation said it needed $200 million in working capital to buy rice from the farmers on account of shrinking loans available in the financial sector, with government allocating only $50 million of the required capital'.

As above, the purchasers have said it's not their fault. The Khmer Times (Dec. 20):

'The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) has fought back against claims that the current price of paddy is too low to sustain farmers’ livelihoods.
“Despite what people are saying on social media, the price of paddy has not decreased below market price. The current price is acceptable for farmers,” said CRF president Song Saran.
CRF comments follow viral posts on social media platforms claiming the current price level is insufficient to make a living.
...
He also suggested that the drop in the price of paddy may be the result of farmers planting lower quality varieties. He called on farmers to focus on “purer” rice types'.

A bit strange, this blame game. Surely if prices are lower, then this also spells better times for poorer citizens? A double edged sword?

Fortified
More then on the above mentioned loan scheme. The Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 8):

'The state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) has announced that it will distribute $50 million in loans to private rice millers to sustain the paddy market for farmers.
The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said the funds will be used to purchase nearly 300,000 tonnes of paddy during the post-monsoon harvest season, which ends at the beginning of next year.
The additional loans come after the CRF asked the government to provide $200 million in loans to rice millers late last month.
...
RDB CEO Kao Thach told The Post last week that capital shortage in the rice sector is between $200 million and $250 million. To help remedy the issue, he has called on commercial banks to lend more to the sector'.

Then some news on lesser rice related news from Khmer kingdom. The Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 9) looks at the evolving Chinese market:

'China has granted an additional 18 Cambodian rice millers approval to export rice into the country, bringing the total to 44, the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh said on Friday.
The additional rice exporters will help the Kingdom achieve its 400,000 tonne quota of rice to China starting next year, it said.
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Chan Sokheang said China’s decision comes after a CRF proposal to increase the Kingdom’s rice production capacity to supply the Chinese market.
...
According to an official report, in the first 11 months of this year, international rice exports totalled 514,149 tonnes. This was a 3.4 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, at 497,240 tonnes.
China was the Kingdom’s leading export market in the first 11 months of this year, with 195,242 tonnes. The EU imported 174,397 tonnes and the Asean region 69,239 tonnes. The remainder was exported to Africa and other destinations'.

Other markets. Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 3) on South Africa:

'Milled rice exporter Mekong Oryza Trading Co Ltd signed an export memorandum of understanding (MoU) with companies from Hong Kong and South Africa in Phnom Penh on Tuesday'.

Then concerning Nigeria, the Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 16):

'A Nigerian investor is looking to directly export rice from Pursat province to the west African country, citing the quality of Cambodia’s milled rice.
The investor’s representative, Mustapha Sammy Yaacob, the chief operating officer of SNZ Engineering Sdn Bhd, raised the subject at a meeting with Pursat provincial governor Mao Thonin on Sunday'.

Other snippets. Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 8) looks at contracts:

'Contract farming between community producers and rice millers or buyers brings growers great benefits, with an expanded market and more favourable prices, industry insiders have said.
Contract farming refers to an agreement between a company and an agricultural community regarding prices, quantities and standards of quality.
Signatures of Asia Co Ltd chairman and CEO Chan Sokheang told The Post on Thursday that contract farming in the paddy production sector would bring better prices for farmers than the market and ease concerns about market shortages and price fluctuations.
...
Signatures of Asia currently has contracts with 30 communities – consisting of nearly 4,000 families – in Preah Vihear, Banteay Meanchey, Stung Treng, Kampong Speu and Mondulkiri provinces, Sokheang said.
He said the high-quality phka malis paddy cost his company between 1,030 and 1,080 riel ($0.25 and $0.27) per kilogramme when bought from one such community on Thursday, while organic paddy goes for between 1,450 and 1,700 riel, which is slightly down on last year'.

Finally, the last bit on Cambodia's rice, the Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 19):

'The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) announced its collaboration on Thursday with a Cambodian company to provide rural students with micronutrient-enriched school meals.
The partnership will see the WFP and Green Trade Company blend fortified rice kernels with Cambodian white rice to support the school meals programmes organised by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport'.

Odd, this, as me thinks that this renders Golden Rice obsolete?

State

Thailand has some rice related concerns. Quality?  Bangkok Post (Dec. 1):

'Failing to win the prize as the world's best fragrant rice for two consecutive years has come as a wake-up call for Thailand to overhaul its research and development into Hom Mali rice varieties to catch up with the changing global demand for fragrant rice.
After winning the contest for five consecutive years, Thailand's Hom Mali (jasmine) rice was beaten last year by Cambodia's fragrant rice and this year by Vietnam's ST25 variety.
"It's about time that both the government and the private sector joined hands in a more serious effort to improve the quality of Thai rice to meet the global market's expectations," said Charoen Laothamatas, president of Thai Rice Exporters Association'.

Overall rice production is down.  Bangkok Post (Nov. 28):

'Thailand's annual paddy production for both the main and second crops is forecast at 27-28 million tonnes in the 2019-20 season, weighed down by a drop in production for the second crop because of flooding and drought.
Whichai Phochanakij, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, who on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the subcommittee handling reference prices for rice price guarantees, said paddy output from the second crop is estimated at just 3.5 million tonnes, down 54% from 7.75 million tonnes the previous season, due to drought and inadequate water supply from dams'.

The Nation (Nov. 28) notes how the government is sugar coating their rural policies:

'Speaking after a meeting with the rice price guarantee committee, the Department of Internal Trade’s director-general Wichai Phochanakit revealed on Wednesday (November 27) that 90 per cent of the rice grown in crop year 2019/2020 had been harvested, but the volume had decreased drastically due to drought and floods'.

More or less what the Bangkok Post (Nov. 25) previously reported on:

'The government has set aside 70 billion baht to shore up paddy prices, as the annual harvest is scheduled to flood the market this month.
Whichai Phochanakij, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the latest meeting of the subcommittee handling national rice policy and management chaired by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit last week approved the schemes worth a combined 70 billion baht'.

Back on the prices subjects. Neighbour to the north (Laos) is also concerned, but to the opposite: rising prices. Phakhaolao reports (Nov. 14):

'The total yield is expected to be about 3.5 million tonnes – a downward slide from the original target of 4.4 million tonnes. Rising prices, shortages and storage issues, including difficulties in procuring rice, are worrisome for both the people and the state'.

Laos works outside world market (or nòt) thanks to their love of sticky rice. 

Derailed

Continuing on the same theme (what's happening with the neighbours), there's the never ending story of cleaning up your act. In this case is it acceptable to use what are increasingly believed to be harmful substances while maintaining you product is pure nature itself?

Concrete, use of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are to be axed in Thailand. Or not? Because this is after all Thailand, where anything goes.

Bangkok Post (Nov. 24) starts off:

'Opposition to the state's ban on three harmful herbicides looks set to escalate as farmers gear up to defy an order to hand over the chemicals to authorities amid plans for a rally on Tuesday.
The prohibition against the trade, use and possession of paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos -- announced late last month by the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) -- will take effect from Dec 1 but opponents are challenging its enforcement and have refused to follow orders as the deadline draws near'.

It works. The Nation (Nov. 27):

'Yielding to pressure from farmers and distributors, a government-established committee has recommended a six-month delay in the planned ban on hazardous agrichemicals paraquat and chlorpyrifos and limited continued use of a third, glyphosate.
Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit said on Wednesday (November 27) the Hazardous Substance Committee he chairs voted unanimously to postpone the ban on two chemicals and allow continued use of the third. 24 committee members casted their votes while 5 were absent.
The committee had on October 22 recommended that all three be banned.
The Department of Agriculture announced in the government gazette on November 18 that the bans would take effect on December 1.
But Suriya declared on Wednesday the ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos would be postponed to June 1 and “the use of glyphosate will follow the commitee's guideline annouced back on May 23, 2018”'.

Then the confusion. The Bangkok Post (Nov. 28):

'Public health authorities insisted on Thursday that the National Committee on Hazardous Substances neither lifted nor eased a ban on three toxic farm chemicals, as Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit had said.Permanent secretary Sukhum Karnchanapimai and other senior health officials held a press conference at the ministry in Nonthaburi province on Thursday to refute Mr Suriya's announcement.On Wednesday Mr Suriya told journalists at the Industry Ministry that the new National Committee on Hazardous Substances had decided unanimously that day to lift the scheduled ban on the herbicide glyphosate and delay the ban on the herbicide paraquat and pesticide chlorpyrifos for six months from Dec 1'.

So despite no decision having been taken, a decision has been taken. Huh? Bangkok Post (Nov. 29) notes what's happening:

'BioThai, an anti-farm chemical pressure group, has alleged that "four major forces'' were behind the decision to scrap the ban on the herbicide glyphosate and delay the prohibitions against the herbicide paraquat and pesticide chlorpyrifos.
BioThai (Biodiversity & Food Sovereignty Action Thailand), which campaigned to have the chemicals banned, published an article titled "Analysis: 36 Days to derail the ban on glyphosate'' on its website on Thursday.
The group claimed the decision to derail the ban was the result of a joint effort by a Thai animal-feed producer, a group of herbicide producers, and two political parties in collusion with US entities'.

The Nation has more on this briefing.

Bangkok Post (Dec. 4):

'The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry still has no idea how it will handle three controversial toxic farm chemicals pending an official direction from the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC).
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said on Wednesday that NHSC had not sent its official resolution from its Nov 27 meeting that reviewed a proposed ban on the herbicides paraquat and glyphosate and the pesticide chlorpyrifos.
When reporters asked Mr Chalermchai what his ministry was doing with the three toxic chemicals, he said he could not relay any instructions to any organisation under his supervision pending the official conclusion from the national committee'.

Green

Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 10) has a message on an overall trade issue:

'Two more provinces have been allowed to issue the certificate of origin (CO) Form D which makes it easier for exporters to apply from their locations. In future commerce departments in each province will carry out this function.
...
With provincial departments of commerce now being able to issue the form, the application process for a CO will take just 16 hours compared to 10 days to two weeks if applied at the ministry in Phnom Penh'.

Then to the fruits. The Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 1):

'Official mango exports from Cambodia to China could begin as soon as the beginning of next year after visiting experts concluded that the fruit grown in the Kingdom is of good quality.
Officials from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) visited the Kingdom on November 24 to inspect Cambodian mango cultivation and determine whether to approve exports.
...
Vann Rithy, general manager of Angkor Mango, a mango buyer and exporter, on Sunday said that China is a large, high-demand and high-value market, and that official exports would greatly contribute to the growth of Cambodia’s economy.
The Kingdom’s mangoes are currently exported to China informally through Vietnam and Thailand.
“When official mango exports to China receive the green light, Cambodia will see a lot of benefits, particularly in regard to prices.
The previous need to export through neighbouring countries led to lower mango prices,” Rithy said.
He said the Kingdom would not be able to produce enough mangoes to meet the increased demand, but that yields are set to increase significantly as the approval of exports would encourage farmers in most provinces to plant more mango trees.
Chhay [Ngin Chhay, director-general of the General Directorate of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries] said there are currently around 60,000 to 70,000ha of mango plantations in the Kingdom'.

The Khmer Times (Dec. 20) chimes in:

'Mangoes could be one of the main agricultural products from Cambodia to be exported to foreign markets, providing high hopes for their current untapped farming potential, the government says, adding the sector is ready for new investment.
There is big scope because there are more than 100,000 hectares of land planted with the sweet, juicy fruit, which translates to at least 1 million tonnes harvested each season.
However, only a small percentage is currently exported because of poor facilities and technical knowhow for planting the trees.
...
Currently, mango fruits from Cambodia are exported to France, Spain, and Russia, Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam.
Last year, Cambodia exported about 50,000 tonnes of fresh mangoes to foreign markets, most of them shipped to Thailand and Vietnam.
South Korea will become a new market for mangoes by early next year, while the exporting company is working to progress the business as fast as it can'.

Phnom Penh Post (Nov. 20) on banana's:

'Yellow banana exports to China have grown since April when the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced that the fruit can be exported directly without relying on Vietnam as an intermediary, Longmate Agriculture Co Ltd director Hun Lak said on Wednesday.
He told The Post that besides expanding its exports to China, his company is seeking to export to Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.
“In Cambodia, the climate is favourable [for yellow bananas]. It is hot and humid, and the soil is fertile and well suited to the cultivation of bananas.
...
He said Cambodia exports an average of 60 containers of bananas a month to China at a median price of between $550 and $600 per tonne.
“We have officially received approved exporter status because Chinese customs authorities and companies recognise our banana standards,” he said.
So far this year, the Kingdom had exported 127,459 tonnes of yellow bananas to China since official direct exports to the Chinese market were authorised, a report from the ministry’s General Department of Agriculture said on Friday.
According to data from the General Department of Agriculture, from the third quarter of last year, three major yellow banana farms existed in Cambodia. They are located in Ratanakkiri, Kratie and Kampot provinces and have a total area of 4,996ha – all for export'.

The Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 19) on coconut, a very overlooked crop. China seems interested:

'Coconut Palm Group Co Ltd is planning to invest in coconut plantations and set up a factory in Cambodia to produce fruit juice, said its general manager Zhao Bo at a recent meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon.
The company is the biggest natural plant protein soft drink producer in China and specialises in processing tropical fruits such as coconuts.
...
The ministry said in 2016, coconut was cultivated on a total of 16,935ha in Cambodia, mainly in Preah Sihanouk, Kampong Speu and Kampot provinces.
...
Zhao said the Coconut Palm Group, located in Hainan, has annual revenues of $400 million and uses 600,000 coconuts a day in its production. The company also employs 6,000 workers and exports its juices to 38 countries.
The company, he said, was established 31 years ago, and in 2016, it paid 603 million yuan ($86.2 million) in taxes – 201 times more than it did in 1985. “Our company’s development has helped to promote the tropical fruits planting industry in Hainan,” Zhao said'.

Drop
Last chapter, ag issues in the wider region. Just a pair.
Phnom Penh Post (Dec. 15) reports on Vietnam's fruit trade:

'Vietnam’s fruit and vegetable exports dropped 0.6 per cent year-on-year to $3.5 billion in the first 11 months this year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) shows.
The drop was attributed to falling earnings from dragon fruit, which accounted for 31 per cent of total fruit exports, (down nine per cent), durian (down 17.4 per cent), coconut (down 35 per cent), longan (down 56 per cent) and watermelon (down 26.4 per cent)'.

Phakhaolao (Nov. 14) sees problems with the Lao coffee production:

'Champassak is suffering the effects of a 28 percent decrease in the price of coffee exports compared to last year, with the price now standing at 1,800 kip per kilogram compared to 2,500 kip. The province's Industry and Commerce Department said that in the first nine months of this year 17,993 tonnes of coffee was exported, a drop of 28 per cent compared to last year'.