Lock & down?

The story over the past month has of course been how the Covid-19 pandemic is influencing rice markets, mostly on the consumer side.

From IRRI, an article by Valera, H.G.A., J. Balié, and V.O. Pede which seeks to look at the wider implications:

'The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on rice-based agri-food systems is expected to be much more serious and deeper than the 2008-2009 GFC. Containment efforts to address the pandemic have already severely disrupted farm supplies such as seed, fertilizer, and other agro-inputs. The lockdowns imposed in countries heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have also created important labor shortage and migration within countries (e.g. India). This could result in a higher rural wage rate if limited labor availability continues.
The lockdowns are also changing the behavior of consumers. They have been stockpiling food and other essential items. Consumers have also tended to change their spending expectations, anticipating a much longer negative financial impact of the crisis. According to a recently published McKinsey & Company article, the outlook of consumer spending is gloomy for most European countries, while for countries like Brazil and Japan the spending propensity would be impacted less.
We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic could also impact food access, and more particularly rice demand, for three main reasons. First, the traditional distribution (retail, restaurants, and food stores) and logistic (ground, air and maritime transportation, as well as processing) channels have been disrupted. Second, employment has declined and incomes have been suppressed, especially for wage earners. Third, food prices have already been negatively impacted in many countries. The price of rice has increased in many Southeast sian countries between early March and mid-April 2020 as reported by Reuters.
The combined effect of these forces could lead to a shift in rice demand. As the income of families will decline substantially, households will spend less on relatively more expensive food items like meat, milk, vegetables, and fruits. Hence, in most Asian countries where rice consumption per capita is already high, we could see both a moderate increase in rice consumption per capita and an overall increase in rice consumption due to the fact that more people will have fallen below the poverty line. For them, the only affordable food is likely to be rice. However, these poor consumers are already negatively affected by the price spikes for rice, which further compounds their purchasing power (see real price levels in Figure 3). These two mechanisms (contraction of incomes and higher rice prices) have the potential to worsen the food insecurity situation of the most vulnerable and poorest segments of the population'. 

So what I read is that consumption might inch up, though most probably for lower grade rice, but as the past has revealed, if an exporter decides to cut back for domestic policies, then anything can happen.
More in-depth. The Diplomat (May 7):

'Much of the reason for rice’s stellar and almost unique performance in the commodities space is attributable to governments’ coronavirus lockdown measures across Asia. This resulted in most of the world’s largest rice net exporters, namely India, China, and Vietnam, as well as major up-and-coming net exporters like Cambodia and Myanmar, freezing their overseas shipments to ensure sufficient stocks of rice for domestic consumption. Thailand stands out as the one significant rice exporting country continuing to supply the region’s heightened rice-consumption needs throughout the pandemic.
...
China’s surging demand for rice at the beginning of the year was arguably the principal driver in boosting global prices for the agricultural commodity. In the first quarter of 2020, according to China’s Customs Statistics, the value of rice imports rose by 60.3 percent while the value of overall agricultural imports increased by 17.4 percent for the period.
...
Vietnam, currently the world’s fourth largest rice exporter, behind India, Thailand, and the United States, managed $1.4 billion in exports, last year, which accounted for roughly 5 percent of international rice exports. Even so, Vietnam restricted export volumes for April and May to ensure ample reserves for domestic use. For the sake of maintaining cooperative relations with neighboring countries and within the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) framework, Vietnam’s government has been conducting bilateral negotiations with the region’s net rice importers to secure special government-supply agreements.
According to Vietnam’s deputy minister for agriculture and development, the Philippines, which imports 90 percent of its rice from the country, will be one of the first to be informed of the exception to this temporary restriction as Manila awaits delivery of about 1.2 million metric tonnes of rice. Other regional net exporters that have imposed such export restrictions, including Myanmar and Cambodia as top-ten global rice exporters, are similarly negotiating such agreements with the region’s net importers.
Thailand, the world’s second largest rice exporter, on the other hand, remains open for new business as its regional competitors close down international rice sales. The Thai government announced that sufficient rice was cultivated to meet its annual export target, normally around 10 million tonnes yearly, on top of its domestic consumption of a similar quantity, even in the face of a debilitating drought that’s lasted since November last year. The price of Thai white rice 5 percent broken, which is an Asian export benchmark, has risen over 25 percent this year, even reaching a seven-year high, as India and other exporters imposed export controls. At the beginning of the year, Thailand’s rice export prospects were relatively gloomy, but a complete about-turn materialized when the coronavirus outbreak arose'.

FAO rice price update for May 2020 sort of agrees. More sales at higher prices:

'The FAO All Rice Price Index (2002-2004=100) increased by 15.9 points (7 percent) in April 2020 to reach 248.2 points, it’s highest level since December 2011.
...
Asian markets were still reeling from the impact of sudden surges in domestic demand spurred by concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, when the late March suspension of new export contracts in Viet Nam was followed by news of Cambodia prohibiting Indica and paddy exports and of Myanmar temporarily halting the issuance of new export licenses. Logistical constraints linked to quarantine measures, particularly in India, compounded on the uncertain export policy environment, driving prices up across most Asian origins and qualities. Asian quotations began receding only mid-way through April, when Viet Nam instated an export quota, successively expanding it and ultimately deciding to repeal all export restrictions as of 1 May, and when Indian exports regained momentum as bottlenecks began to clear'. 

Agreed
Back to some of the related action. The Bangkok Post (Apr. 23) reports on domestic actions:

'Packaged rice manufacturers and distributors yesterday agreed to cut their prices by as much as 50%, as requested by the Commerce Ministry'.

But the threat of a sellers market, seems to have ebbed away. The Phnom Penh Post (Apr. 30) on Vietnam:

'Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Tuesday agreed with the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MoIT’s) proposal to resume rice export from May 1, in accordance with Decree 107/2018/ND-CP on rice export business'.

Two weeks later, Cambodia follows suit. The Phnom Penh Post (May 13):

'The government has decided to allow the rice industry to resume exports of white rice to global markets after a ban was issued in March.
The lifting of the ban comes as the Philippines seeks to import an additional 300,000 tonnes of milled rice from major producers in Southeast Asia.
The decision is in response to a request by the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) to gradually resume white rice exports from May 20, said a letter sent from the Ministry of Economy and Finance to the CRF on Wednesday and signed by Minister Aun Pornmoniroth.
In March, Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered a temporary suspension of white rice and paddy exports to ensure adequate domestic supply, food security and price stability in the Kingdom during the Covid-19 pandemic'.

So are we now back where we started?

Edge

Meanwhile the non-Covid related news on rice and Cambodia.

Phnom Penh Post (May 3) notes how the rice related statistics are on the up:

'Cambodia exported 300,252 tonnes of rice to the international market in the first four months of this year – equivalent to $210 million – the highest export volume in the past decade, the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) said in a report.
The export volume is 40.46 per cent over the 213,763 tonnes reported in the same period last year, it said.
China accounted for 41 per cent of exports or 122,094 tonnes, the EU and the UK 32 per cent or 97,337 tonnes, ASEAN countries 13 per cent or 37,428 tonnes and other countries 14 per cent or 43,339 tonnes.
CRF secretary-general Lun Yeng told The Post on Sunday that rice exports have reached 48.41 per cent of last year’s total exports. The spread of Covid-19 has led to a higher demand for food and storage in all countries, he said'.

Reports galore, hopefully not all following concern the same. The Phnom Penh Post (May 12):

'The government and the private sector are jointly studying the feasibility of lowering paddy production costs and refining milled rice export plans to increase the competitiveness of Cambodia’s market.
Ministry of Commerce secretary of state Sok Sopheak on Monday said ongoing discussions are aimed at identifying the challenges and giving the Kingdom’s rice sector a competitive edge'.

The Khmer Times (May 13) runs an article

'The Ministry of Commerce and development partner – CAVAC (Cambodia Agriculture Value Chain Programme) – have reviewed a study on rice export cost, aiming to enhance the competitiveness of Cambodia’s rice export'.

But not yet published. 

Oh yes, same source, same day even, but different article:

'The Ministry of Commerce and Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) are continuing working to solve the long-running challenges of the Kingdom’s high cost of electricity and transportation in order to boost the country’s rice industry.
...
The Ministry said that the main challenges for Cambodia rice exports include the high cost of electricity, the high cost of transportation, fee costs at ports and the cost of shipping from ports to the destinations'.

Pity to have spent money researching this. It's been this case like since always.

Strict

Cassave remains on the up. The Phnom Penh Post (Apr. 29):

'Cambodia exported 1,115,365 tonnes of cassava to the international market in the first three months of this year, inching up around 1.6 per cent from 1,097,803 in the year-ago period, said a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries'.

 Khmer Times (May 7) on cashew:

'Cambodia exported 186,205 tonnes of cashew nut to foreign markets in the first four months of this year, according to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries'.

Rubber acts as expected, a downwards spiral. The Phnom Penh Post (April 16):

'Rubber exports in the first three months of this year declined sharply as a result of tightened measures at border checkpoints to prevent the outbreak of the Covid-19 disease, plantation owners and exporters have said.
Long Sreng International Co Ltd general manager Heng Sreng told The Post on Monday that his company exported a very small amount of rubber in the first three months of the year due to restrictions on the Cambodian border with Vietnam.
Long Sreng International owns the Boeung Ket Rubber Plantation in Stung Trang district’s Prek Kak commune in Kampong Cham province.
Over the past three months, the company has exported 50 tonnes of rubber to the international market, down from the year-ago figures of between 250 and 300 tonnes, he said'.

Novelty. The Khmer Times (May 7):

'A local investor has created a large-scale dragon farm community in Preah Vihear province in response to local and export demand.
Cambodian agronomist Yang Siang Koma and local partners are planning to grow 1 million dragon fruit trees covering 1,000 hectares of land in Sambor Neak community.
“We expect ultimately to create 3,000 to 10,000 jobs for residents,” he said, adding that the fruit has great potential in the market, noting that Vietnam exported $1 billion of the fruit to international markets last year'.

Not all fruits are on the up. The Khmer Times (May 1) reports on difficulties  with exporting mango, though not really naming what the problem is:

'Mong Reththy Group (MRG), the largest local agribusiness company, and Korean mango exporter Hyundai Agro are discussing ways to seek a solution for mango exports.
Chang-Hoon Lee, managing director of Hyundai Agro, told Khmer Times yesterday that both sides have discussed the current situation of the local mango market.
“We agreed to exchange skills, techniques and know- how to each other. We [Hyundai] will support MRG to follow the guidelines to meet South Korea’s regulations because the Korea market is very strict with chemicals and records, plus worm and disease control when it comes to such fruit exports,” he said'.

Pepper received quite some newsprint. Phnom Penh Post (May 11):

'April marked 10 years since Kampot pepper became the first product to receive Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Ministry of Commerce.
Due to its high price and market favour resulting from its GI label, local farmers and investors are engaged in cultivating pepper in provinces across the Kingdom.
But market demand is very uncertain as the price of pepper not from Kampot or Kep, the two provinces recognised as legitimate areas to grow Kampot pepper, has plummeted, frustrating farmers.
Data from the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) shows that membership has increased to 455 families from 118 in 2010.
The number of wooden stakes, which farmers anchor into the ground for the pepper plants to grow around, used by its members has increased from 27,012 in 2010 to 727,317 this year.
Land designated for Kampot pepper cultivation has increased from 1ha in 2010 to 251ha today – exclusively in Kampot and Kep – and more than 100 tonnes of the prized pepper was produced last year.
The data also indicated that prices have increased significantly. Black pepper cost $5.75 per kg in 2010, while red pepper was priced at $10 per kg and white pepper cost $12 per kg.
The prices currently stand at $15 per kg for black pepper, $25 per kg for red pepper and $28 per kg for white pepper'.

Trust

Then that final paragraph in which we pull all that unrelated together. But maybe not so today.

First some Khmer related news. The Khmer Times (Apr. 28) notes that the government sees some interest in the organic growing sides of things:

'The government has announced it will launch rules and a special logo to certify food is organic.
...
Chan Pich, general manager of Signature of Asia, welcomed the move. He said currently only the private sector certifies organic standards for agricultural products in Cambodia. However, having a national organic standard is good because Cambodia wants to work within ASEAN organic standards, to have a proper logo for local products and have proper guidelines to build trust among producers and consumers'.

That said, the Phnom Penh Post (May 5) states that the kingdom is importing more and more of the non-organic:

'Cambodia imported more than 1.2 million tonnes of agricultural fertilisers and chemical pesticides in 2019, up more than nine per cent from 1.1 million tonnes in 2018, said a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
Of that, more than 1.14 million tonnes were fertilisers and 81,097 tonnes were chemical pesticides, it said.
The Kingdom imports more than 90,000 tonnes per month of about 2,600 types of fertilisers and pesticides to serve the agricultural sector'.

Then bringing into mind that we are a blog on hybrid rice and all it entails. The past we have had the opportunity to target Monsanto and it's new parent company Bayer. Responsibletechnology (Apr. 29) foresees doom:

'For Bayer’s Annual General Meeting yesterday, Monsanto investigator Jeffrey Smith predicted that Bayer will face possible bankruptcy from a new wave of lawsuits linking Roundup herbicide to numerous diseases, and that the current expected payout of up to $12 billion to more than 50,000 plaintiffs with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is only the beginning'. 

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'.

Stifled

The Guardian (Oct. 26) has an extensive article on the recently published Golden Rice: The Imperiled Birth of a GMO Superfood by Ed Regis:

'Stifling international regulations have been blamed for delaying the approval of a food that could have helped save millions of lives this century. The claim is made in a new investigation of the controversy surrounding the development of Golden Rice by a team of international scientists.
Golden Rice is a form of normal white rice that has been genetically modified to provide vitamin A to counter blindness and other diseases in children in the developing world. It was developed two decades ago but is still struggling to gain approval in most nations.
“Golden Rice has not been made available to those for whom it was intended in the 20 years since it was created,” states the science writer Ed Regis. “Had it been allowed to grow in these nations, millions of lives would not have been lost to malnutrition, and millions of children would not have gone blind.”
...
“The effects of withholding, delaying or retarding Golden Rice development through overcautious regulation has imposed unconscionable costs in terms of years of sight and lives lost,” Regis concludes.

It looks like a great article in PR and up til now, the publication has received very little critique. It is also totally uncharacteristic of what Guardian normally publishes. Is their more balance?
Especially the claim that millions of lives have not been saved seems to be an exaggeration. Blaming others for the delay seems to bypass the central question. Why is big business so interested in pushing this (as the blame is placed with governments and NGO's)? Not self interest?

In Foreign Policy (Oct. 17), author Ed Regis discusses his own publication and emphasizes:

'This was Golden Rice, the fruit of nine years of research, experimentation, and development. The “gold” was in fact beta carotene, a substance that is converted into vitamin A in the human body. Conventional rice plants already contained beta carotene, but only in their leaves and stems, not in the kernels. Golden Rice also carries the substance in the part of the plant that people eat. This small change made Golden Rice into a miracle of nutrition: The rice could combat vitamin A deficiency in areas of the world where the condition is endemic and could, thereby, “save a million kids a year.”

A review (Oct. 3) from eea - John Hopkins University (the publisher):

'It is also true that Greenpeace had criticized and denounced Golden Rice, mocked and ridiculed it as an unrealistic, impractical, and even a dangerous foodstuff. Over the years since the prototype version was announced, Greenpeace had issued a practically endless stream of press releases, position papers, and miscellaneous other statements about Golden Rice that were filled with factual inaccuracies, distortions, and wild exaggerations of the truth. I learned, however, that none of these diatribes had done anything to stop, slow down, or interfere with the process of Golden Rice research and development, which proceeded at its own steady, albeit deliberate, pace.
Nor was Greenpeace guilty of mass murder or “crimes against humanity.” For even if their accusations against Golden Rice had the effect of retarding its development (which in fact they hadn’t), those accusations were not intended to cause harm, much less death, whereas murder is above all an intentional act'. 

This blog has highlighted much of the what was wrong with Golden Rice:
August 2018 citing GRAIN:

'Aside from its low content, the beta-carotene in Golden Rice also shows degradation. A study in 2017 shows that Golden Rice retains 60% of its original beta-carotene levels after 3 weeks of storage and just 13% after 10 weeks. A researcher notes that after 75 days, one has to eat as much as 32 kgs of cooked Golden Rice just to get the same amount of beta-carotene in a single carrot'.

December 2018 citing GRAIN:

'While these pro-GR groups keep tagging the Golden Rice detractors as ‘vandals’, they also continue to take for granted the realities of hunger that these farmers and the Asian peoples are experiencing on a daily basis. Our countries are blessed with bountiful resources to feed our population, but poverty and social inequalities stop people from procuring safe and nutritious food. Golden Rice will never solve VAD [vitamin A deficiency] and will only strengthen the status quo, benefiting only those interested in controlling our nations’ agricultural sector.

The real crime against humanity is committed by the pro-Golden Rice camp by peddling a GM product that is not tested nor proven to be safe. In fact, this can turn into a situation where the ‘medicine’ is worse than the illness it intends to cure.

Golden Rice is a techno-fix to malnutrition and a corporate ploy to control our agriculture. It is not needed by Asian people nor the world. Indeed, the solution to hunger and malnutrition lies in comprehensive approaches that ensure people have access to diverse sources of nutrition. Securing small farmers’ control over resources such as seed, appropriate technologies, water and land is the real key to improving food production and eradicating hunger and malnutrition'.

May 2017 citing GRAIN:

'A recent study made by scientist in India showed that the derived lines of Golden Rice produced phenotypic abnormality and poor agronomic performance making it unfit for commercial cultivation'.

December 2016:

'Looking at how Nobel prize winners were drawn into declaring their support for genetically modified organisms the oneworld (Nov. 7) article's author comes to some revealing disclosures. 

Though this saga has been highlighted earlier on this site, let's start with part of the article's intro:

'In June this year it hit the newspaper headlines. More than a hundred Nobel laureates call upon Greenpeace to immediately cease their resistance to genetic modification (GM). In specific the environmental organization was blasted for it's campaign against so-called “Golden Rice”, a genetically engineered rice variety 
...
Regulatory barriers for GM-technology should therefore be eased, the letter urges, and calls on “governments of the world“ to make this happen'.

The article reveals 

• That Greenpeace does not "frustrate" the work of IRRI on Golden Rice,
• that Greenpeace were not allowed to defend themselves at a press conference in Washington D.C., being refused entry by a representative of a PR firm who was formerly head of Monsanto's corporate communication,
• the same person also provided public affairs guidance to the Nobel winners,
• the same representative is a fixer between industry and scientists which seek to discredit organic food industry,
• with this in mind there is apparently a target list of well-known / influential GMO doubters,
• that the leader of Nobel Laureates efforts in this cause has a private stake in allowing wider acceptance of GMO's'. 

And we could look further back: November 2014 , May 2014, January 2014 and  October 2013. Just a few postings on the subject. 

More info from Stop Golden Rice Network. 
So there's enough to suggest a more balanced view is required.

Kind
Let's look more at the kingdom's rice issues.

Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 30) takes a look ahead:

'The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) has committed to raising the Kingdom’s rice exports to one million tonnes by 2022, its president Song Saran said on Wednesday. 
The comment was made at the Strategic Plan 2020-2023 Consultation Workshop, which was attended by CRF members, ministry representatives, government agencies and international stakeholders.In an effort to attain its goal, the CRF will export 35 per cent of its rice to the Chinese market, 30 per cent each to Europe and Asean countries, and five per cent to other markets said, Saran. 
Of that, luxury fragrant rice will account for 30 per cent of its exports, regular fragrant rice 40 per cent and regular rice 30 per cent, he said'.

Phnom Penh Post (Nov. 5) currently:

'The price of premier jasmine paddy is showing signs of stability as post-monsoon harvest season begins, insiders have said.
The harvest season of Phka Romduol – a variety of Cambodian premium rice – began about a week ago in some provinces such as Pursat, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Battambang, and will end late next month or in early January.
Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Chan Sokheang on Tuesday said the price of Phka Romduol is currently between 1,100 and 1,200 riel ($0.27 and $0.30) per kilogramme – a slight increase from last year.To promote rice exports, the CRF has urged all its members to stock up on Phka Romduol paddy, he said, adding that “this kind of paddy is in high demand on the international market”. 
Milled Phka Romduol rice sold on the international market may fetch $880-$900 per tonne, Sokheang said'.

Other marketing aspects. The Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 31):

'Cambodia is campaigning to boost its luxury fragrant rice exports to China, the world’s largest market, said Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Chan Sokheang on Thursday. 
Sokheang told The Post on Thursday that the CRF plans to achieve the quota that China provided Cambodia – 400,000 tonnes of rice per annum. 
The CRF has committed to exporting one million tonnes of rice globally by 2022, with 35 per cent to the Chinese market, of which 30 per cent is luxury fragrant rice, 40 per cent regular fragrant rice and 30 per cent regular rice. 

Sokheang said the federation’s campaign aims to boost fragrant rice exports to China and make up for a decline in exports to Europe'.

Khmer Times (Nov. 15) has more on China: 

'China imported 40 percent more rice from Cambodia from January to October this year over the same period last year, according to government data'.

Award
Across the eastern border, Vietnam is celebrating. Vientnamnews (Nov. 13):

'Việt Nam’s organic rice from Sóc Trăng ST24 was crowned the best in the world at The Rice Trader (TRT) World Rice Conference 2019 in Manila, the Philippines, on Tuesday. 
This is the first time Vietnamese rice has been awarded this title'.

Cambodia has won this a couple of times in the past, it exemplifies how also the Vietnamese are seeking to up their product.
Much to chagrin of Thailand. Bangkok Post (Nov. 18):

'Rice traders are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to prioritise the development and improvement of rice varieties after Thailand's signature jasmine rice, Thai Hom Mali, failed to win the World's Best Rice award for a second year.
Vietnam's ST24 rice won this year's award, while Cambodia's premium fragrant rice, Malys Angkor, won the honours in 2018.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of Thai Rice Exporters Association, said missing the award twice in a row indicates that their rivals have been continuously working on developing their product'.

Of course for every upside there's a downside. This from Thailand's the Nation (Nov. 5):

'Thai rice is in trouble, with the price of 5 per cent Broken White Rice and sticky rice being very low, Thai Rice Mills Association president Kriangsak Tapananon said. New jasmine rice in the beginning of the season will be earmarked for export, and the old rice will be consumed in Thailand, he added.
...
“In the highly competitive global market, our competitors have chosen to offer lower prices to attract buyers,” he said.
“To tackle this, we need to maybe recheck the whole rice export system,” Kriangsak said. “However, to do this by looking back at the market tendency, quantity, and price direction, the main problem is inevitably the production cost”.
Kriangsak said that to deal with the current market situation, the quantity of rice per rai should be increased to meet market demand, while new markets should be found for all kinds of rice.
It is also questionable whether the government’s policy of providing support only to the production sector including rice farmers is sufficient enough to help the entire rice trading system'.

The Nation (Oct. 23) looks at the overall market prospects for Thai produce:

'Rice exports are expected to reach between 8 million and 8.1 million tonnes this year, falling short of the target of 9 million tonnes, Thai Rice Exporters Association honorary president Chookiat Ophaswongse said this week.
That would make rice exports in 2019 lower than last year by 3.5 million tonnes.
Rice exports during the first nine months totalled 5.9 million tonnes, a reflection of the fierce competition from other countries'.

And then there's this. Nation (Nov. 5):

'Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sreeon has ordered the Department of Agriculture, the Rice Department and the Department of Agriculture Extension to look for a way to control an outbreak of rice blast disease scourging northeastern provinces.
The article mentions acreages of more than 50,000 ha affected'.

The Nation (Oct. 31) looks at market prospects in the Philippines for Thai rice:

'Keerati Rushchano, an inspector-general at the Commerce Ministry and acting director-general of its Department of Foreign Trade, said this week the Philippines had suspended implementation of an import protection measure that would have adversely affected Thai rice.
...
Thailand exported 543,344 tonnes to the Philippines in the first nine months of 2019, down 297,812 tonnes or 61.65 per cent year-on-year'.

Coconuts (Nov. 12) looks with more detail at the Filipino market for rice (imports?):

'The Philippines is the world’s number one importer of rice, surpassing even China, according to a new report released by the United States’ Department of Agriculture. The USDA-Foreign Agricultural Services (USDA-FAS) report, released on Nov. 8, shows that 3.1 million metric tons of rice were imported by the Philippines this year, compared to China’s 2.5 million metric tons. 
... 
In March this year, the government implemented the Rice Tarrification Law, or Republic Act 11203. The law removed import restrictions, leading to a greater amount of rice bought from overseas flooding the market. This move, according to experts, prompted local rice prices to plunge to PHP38 (US$0.75) per kilogram as of the end of September, 17 percent lower than last year’s price of PHP46 (US$0.90) per kilogram. However, prices failed to hit the government’s promised low of PHP27 (US$0.5o). 
The Philippines is also a major grower of rice, producing some 20 million tons a year, raising questions as to the impact of imports on prices for local growers. 
... 
As of October, the country’s national rice inventory was at 2.28 million metric tons, with some 1.9 million metric tons coming from imports, according to the Bureau of Customs. The share of imports is 43.4 percent higher than the previous year’s record of 1.59 million metric tons, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer'.

Vientiane Times (Nov. 14) has a look at the people's prospects for rice production:

'The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry yesterday defended its decision to lower the rice production target for 2019, saying it was unavoidable because of the severe flooding that had occurred this year and last.
At the same time, water shortages are currently affecting the north of Laos'.

Pha Khao Lao (Nov. 11) adds:

'Vientiane is continuing to expand irrigation systems with the goal of planting rice on an additional 555 hectares this dry season'.

Bust
Let's look at other crops.

Phnom Penh Post (Nov. 3) cites research that reflects positively on cassave vis-a-vis rice:

'The government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have called on farmers to grow cassava as a national policy on cassava production nears finalisation.
A UNDP study on Friday found that investing in cassava can result in higher yields than investing in rice, rice production, livestock, food and beverages, and tourism sectors. Direct revenue growth from the cassava sector is estimated to be about $130 million over 10 years.Speaking at the launch of the report, UNDP project manager Leang Reathmana said there is a growing demand for cassava from world markets – especially China – and the government and the private sector need to invest more in cassava'.

Rubber seems less positive. The Phnom Penh Post (Nov. 17):

'Rubber growers and exporters have expressed concern that prices will continue to fall as Thailand seeks to boost its natural rubber exports, industry insider Men Sopheak said.
In March, the International Tripartite Rubber Council (ITRC), which comprises Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, agreed to reduce rubber exports by about 240,000 tonnes from late in May to late September to buoy local prices, Reuters reported last week.
The three Southeast Asian neighbours, which produce 70 per cent of the world’s natural rubber, ended up slashing exports by 441,648 tonnes during the period.
Thai Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit told a conference of reporters and rubber growers on Wednesday that Thailand will boost natural rubber exports to increase incomes for the latter following implementation of the four-month curb agreement, Reuters reported'.

Khmer Times (Oct. 28) on cashew:

'Top Planning Japan Co., Ltd last week announced its intention to build a plant in Cambodia to process cashew nuts'.

On a side note there's this. New Mandala (Nov. 1) has an extensive article on Southeast Asia's love of boom to bust cycles in it's agricultural development:

'The transformative capacity of crop booms across Southeast Asia is alarming. Tree-based boom crops alone (e.g. rubber, oil palm, eucalyptus) are estimated to constitute 18% of the landscape in mainland Southeast Asia, a majority of which replaced forest land (Hurni and Fox 2018). The images presented above attest to the monumental landscape changes brought about by crop booms. What follows are extensive environmental problems including deforestation, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, as well as pollution and health risks from agri-chemicals and plastics. In northern Laos and Myanmar, for example, plastics used to protect young watermelon seedlings are burned after harvest, while plastic bags that insulate young banana branches in the winter months are later ploughed into the soil. In both cases, there is no attention to the long-term environmental consequences.
Boom crops also bring irrevocable economic and social changes. The cassava boom in Cambodia, for example, has brought new levels of cash income to some participating households, but contributes to the rising cost of land, food and other consumables. In boom regions, some households gain the capacity to build new houses, send children to school, or invest in agricultural and transport equipment, while others lose out and may enter vicious cycles of household debt and land loss. Thus, smallholder crop booms often exacerbate existing inequalities or create new economic differentiations.
...
... states and development aid organisations often approach booms with optimism, viewing them as potential engines for locally driven development and economic growth. When ‘booms go bust’ due to ecological collapse or market failure, those involved often look for the next crop boom opportunity instead of engaging in long-term planning of more sustainable modes of agricultural production. This level of complexity and the lack of visible, responsible actors makes it difficult to research as well as address the socio-environmental impacts of crop booms'.

Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 29) has additional info on business enabling:

'The Ministry of Commerce has intensified its decentralisation policy and shifted its responsibility for issuing certificates of origin (COs) to provincial commerce departments, it said on Monday.
To promote the Kingdom’s agricultural exports, the ministry announced a pilot launch from November 1 in three border provinces – Takeo, Kampot and Koh Kong. 
In 2017, the ministry authorised the Battambang and Pailin provincial departments of Commerce to issue COs to exporters.
... 
Hun Lak, a director at Longmate Agriculture Co Ltd which is a yellow banana planter and exporter, said provincial CO issuance will facilitate his exports.He said his company exported nearly 120,000 tonnes of yellow bananas to China, Vietnam and Japan in the first nine months of this year.
Longmate Agriculture has invested $32 million in yellow banana cultivation on more than 1,000ha in Kampot’s northwestern Chhouk district. The company is currently implementing the first phase of the project on 400ha'.

Further afield. Vietnamnews (Oct. 30) on coffee:

'As coffee exports dropped in both volume and turnover in the first nine months of this year, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said improving product quality and brand development are key for coffee export growth. 
Coffee exports reached 1.26 million tonnes, valued at US$2.17 billion, down 12.5 per cent ​​in volume and 20.9 per cent in value compared to the same period last year. 
To get Vietnamese coffee into foreign distribution systems, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said it would implement the scheme to help Vietnamese enterprises participate in overseas distribution networks by 2020, aiming to bring Vietnamese coffee directly into foreign markets'.

Thailand's Nation (Nov. 4) on pineapples:

'The Agricultural Research and Development Centre in Phetchaburi province has successfully created a new pineapple breed named “Petchaburi’s Pineapple 2” after 34 years of improvement by evaluating, selecting, comparing, and testing various breeds of pineapple, Department of Agriculture deputy director-general Surmsuk Salakpetch said'.

Suspect
Then let's finish with where we started. Controversy. 
In previous posts I've touched on the subject of the status of paraquat and glyphosate use in the region. As stated, Thailand is in the throes of deciding where to head to.
The Nation (Oct. 19) notes how farmers representatives are raising the stacks of the issue:

'Millions of sugarcane farmers and some academics have voiced opposition to the ban on farm chemicals paraquat and glyphosate, saying the discontinuation of these substances can cost the sugar industry as much as Bt570 billion.
...
The National Hazardous Substances Committee is scheduled to meet on October 27 to decide on whether the use of three toxic farming chemicals -- paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos – should be banned.
The panel set up by the government had proposed to end the use of the three chemicals from December 1, as they are considered to be harmful to people’s health and cause soil contamination'.

But it doesn't seem to help. Nation (Oct. 22):

'Twenty-six members of the Hazardous Substance Committee have reached a verdict to approve a planned ban on three toxic pesticides – Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate – which are widely used in agriculture, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul posted on his personal Facebook page on Tuesday'.

The discussion also reached Cambodia. The Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 24):

'Thailand edged closer on Tuesday to banning glyphosate and two other controversial pesticides despite protests from farmers in a multibillion-dollar agriculture industry aiming to be the “kitchen of the world”.
The agriculture sector employs 40 per cent of Thailand’s population, and the Southeast Asian country is one of the world’s leading rice and sugar exporters.It is also one of the biggest consumers of pesticides that are currently being banned or phased out in other parts of the globe because of links to a variety of illnesses.Thailand’s National Hazardous Substances Committee voted to ban glyphosate and chemicals paraquat and chlorpyrifos, officials said.
 ...
Vietnam banned all herbicides containing glyphosate soon after the Roundup cases in the US, but the decision was swiftly denounced by the US Secretary of Agriculture, who said it would impact global agricultural production. 
Thailand’s health minister, who has argued that the pesticides put lives at risk, praised Tuesday’s move as “heroic” on his Facebook page, as several dozen farmers protested, citing a rise in production costs. 
“If we don’t have the chemicals to eradicate the weeds, we will have to use more labourers,” said Charat Narunchron of a farmers association in Chanthaburi province, who called the ban “unfair”.Thailand’s Pesticide Alert Network – which has long advocated for the ban – thanked the government, but said it needs to help farmers adjust to other methods'.

The Bangkok Post (Oct. 26) highlights that prices of the to be banned chemicals are going down. 

Even the US is weighing in, not objectively. The Nation (Oct. 25):

'The US has urged Thailand to take scientific evidence into account and weigh the consequences of a ban on the use of glyphosate, a weed-control chemical.
Replying to questions from The Nation on Thailand’s plan to ban three farm chemicals -- paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate -- US Embassy spokesperson Jillian Bonnardeaux said: “We are aware that letters from the US Department of Agriculture to Royal Thai Government officials are currently circulating in the media in Thailand,” clarifying about news reports that the US government had sent letters to the Thai government urging a review of the ban on glyphosate used to control weeds.
“The United States would expect Thailand, as it would all of our trading partners, to base regulatory measures on scientific evidence and take into account international standards. Should the ban be implemented in Thailand, it will severely impact Thailand’s imports of agricultural commodities such as soybeans and wheat. The ban would negatively impact both Thai farmers and trading partners,” she noted'.

Note, Bangkok Post (Oct. 26):

'Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday said officials would be assigned to clearly explain Thailand’s position to the US embassy about an official document submitted to the Thai government objecting to the country’s policy of banning three toxic farm chemicals'.

Bangkok Post (Oct. 27):

'US President Donald Trump's decision to suspend $1.3 billion (39.2 billion baht) in trade preferences for Thailand under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) has raised suspicion it is in retaliation for Thailand's ban on the use of herbicide glyphosate'.

And more pressure. Nation (Oct. 26):

'A farmers’ body will appeal to the Central Administrative Court on Monday (October 28) to issue an injunction on the ban of toxic agricultural chemicals – paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate – which was approved by the unanimous vote of Hazardous Substance Committee on Tuesday.
Sukan Sangwanna, secretary-general of Federation of Safe Agriculture (FSA), said on Saturday that the FSA and representatives of farmers who grow six economic crops including sugarcane, tapioca, oil palm, rubber, corn, and fruits will approach the court seeking a stay.
...
Sukan added that he will submit a letter to Hazardous Substance Committee to question the possible double standard practice of Thailand still importing fruits and vegetables from countries that allow paraquat and glyphosate, including China, Japan and the US. “If we ban these substances in Thailand, we should stop importing products from these countries too, or else domestic products won’t be able to compete due to increased costs.”
Statistics from Department of Agriculture reveal that currently Thailand still has stocks of these three chemicals of nearly 30,000 tonnes, whereas the cost to safely eliminate them is estimated at Bt3 billion'.

But ... The Nation (Oct. 31):

'Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on has ordered the ministry’s permanent secretary and subsidiary agencies to speed their search for biochemical and microbial pesticides as substitutes for the newly banned toxic chemicals paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate'.

Rice farmers are unaffected? Bangkok Post (Nov. 9):

'Rice exporters have thrown their full support behind the ban on three toxic farm chemicals, saying importer countries have tightened their order of crops based on food safety.

Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said the group agrees with the government's decision to ban paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, and has asked farmers to adjust by reducing the use of chemicals.

"Many rice buyers have tightened their measures to protect consumers," Mr Charoen said. "If Thai farmers ignore the ban or do not reduce chemical use, rice exports will be affected."

He said global rice consumption is shifting towards chemical-free products'.

And now the tears. Nation (Nov. 13):

'Dr Kitti Chunhawong, president of Thailand Society of Sugarcane Technologists (TSSCT) insisted on Tuesday (November 12) that the banning of 3 agrochemical substances namely Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate by the Hazardous Substance Committee, which came into effect last month, will severely affect the sugar industry'.

To be continued ...