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'.

Surge

The usual:

Rice in Cambodia. In the wider region. The alternatives. Wider rural issues. And a parting shot at Monsanto.
That's all.

Cambodia thus. 
Vietnamplus.vn (May 7) looks at the latest rice export statistics, which reveal that China is putting it's money where it's mouth is:

'Cambodia’s rice exports to China have surged strongly after the European Union (EU) imposed duties on rice imports from the Southeast Asian nation, the World Bank (WB) said on May 6.
The EU in January imposed tariffs for three years on rice imported from Cambodia and Myanmar to curb an increase in imports from those two countries and to protect EU producers such as Italy.
Cambodia has filed a challenge with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the duties.
According to the WB’s country economic update, after the tariffs were imposed, Cambodia’s milled rice exports to the EU in February were only 10,080 tonnes, a 57.8 percent decline from the previous month.
Cambodia exported 270,000 tonnes or 43 percent of its total milled rice exports to the EU in 2018, the WB said.
The decline in Cambodia’s rice exports to the EU was more than offset by the increase in the country’s rice exports to the Chinese market, the WB said in its report.
Cambodia’s rice exports to China grew by 45.6 percent, and it managed to increase its overall exports of rice by 2 percent during the first two months of the year'.

The above comes hot on the heels of the Khmer Times (Apr. 26) revealing:

'China will agree to buy 400,000 tonnes of Cambodian rice in a memorandum of understanding that will be signed tomorrow in Beijing, according to the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce'.

More Chinese investment (Khmer Times, May 27) too:

'In a meeting with Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, Bi Guangmin, chairman of the board of Henan at Yuguang International Economic and Technical Cooperation, unveiled plans to build a warehouse and a silo with a capacity to store up to 1 million tonnes of rice'.

On the storage subject. The Phnom Penh Post (May 28):

'With more plans for rice storage and silos in Cambodia, industry insiders have expressed their optimism that a lack of facilities will not pose a challenge for the Kingdom’s rice market this year.
Cambodian Rice Federation vice-president Norng Veasna said thanks to efforts from the private sector’s rice millers and support from state institutions, the harvest season this year will not see the same issues as in the past few years.
Drying silos and rice storage facilities can currently be found in almost every province'.

The last Cambodian rice news snippet: the  Khmer Times (May 28) notes efforts being made to add Japonica rice to the palette of rice exports:

'Minister of Agriculture Veng Sakhon last week said that tests on Japonica rice have ended, yielding encouraging results. Those tests were being conducted in Kampong Thom province, and show that yields of Japonica are nearly twice as big as those of other varieties grown in the Kingdom.

A hectare of land planted with Japonica can produce 6.5 tonnes of rice, Mr Sakhon said in a post on the ministry’s Facebook page. On average, a hectare in Cambodia yields 3.5 tonnes of rice.

...

Song Saran, CEO of Amru Rice, said Japonica has great potential but that Cambodia is still not ready to plant it for commercial purposes.

“After many tests, we have concluded that Japonica rice can grow well in Cambodia with very high yields,” he said.

“However, the variety needs a lot of water, so we must now study how to reduce the amount of water required,” said Mr Saran, whose firm has also conducted tests on the variety'.

Shifts
Looking at the wider region and rice, just a limited amount of news.

Thailand's official subsidies for rice are directed to high-input rice growing. But they also seem to be interested in low-input rice cultivation. The Nation (May 28):

'The Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the German government's international co-operation agency on Friday announced the launch of a joint public-private project aimed at transforming the central plains of Thailand to low-carbon rice farming.

...

Under this project, some 100,000 local rice farming households covering 2.8 million rai of rice fields in six provinces of Chainat, Angthong, Pathum Thani, Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, and Suphan Buri would shift to a sustainable method of rice-growing. This is intended to increase their productivity while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to the rising global temperature, the minister said.

The project - having a revolving fund and providing training to farmers - would have farmers shifting from their current method of rice growing to apply the low greenhouse gas-emitting way, use appropriate rice seed strain and related technologies (such as the land-levelling, the alternated wet and dry water management for rice fields, the fertiliser application based on soil testing and analysing, and the rice straw and stubble management to avoid applying a haze-creating method of burning)'. 

Then the Phnom Penh Post (Apr. 30) looks at rice exports from Laos:

'Laos is anticipating reduced income from rice exports this year in the wake of widespread flooding across the country last year.
The country set a target of $45.6 million for rice exports last year but could only achieve $31.4 million, according to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
This year, the government is expecting to earn only $25.2 million from rice exports, a significant decline compared to last year’s figure'.

Instead

On the developing of alternatives to rice growing, there's lots of Cambodian related news reports on bananas.
Phnom Penh Post (Apr. 30):

'Cambodia can now directly export yellow bananas to China, without relying on Vietnam as an intermediary, a Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announcement said.
The General Directorate of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Monday announced that to send bananas directly to the Chinese market, exporters must comply with certain requirements'.

Khmer Times (May 2) chimes in:

'Five Cambodian companies have been given permission to export bananas directly to China, the Ministry of Agriculture announced earlier this week.
The announcement follows the signing of a protocol on the exportation of bananas in August between China and Cambodia, an agreement that effectively allows Cambodia to ship the fruit to China.
According to the ministry, five local companies are now allowed to export directly to China after a group of Chinese experts visited their farms in Cambodia and gave them the nod'.

 And then (Khmer Times, May 10):

'Cambodia yesterday began the process of sending its first shipment of bananas to the Chinese market, after five local companies were greenlighted by the Chinese government last month.
During a ceremony attended by Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon, 100 tonnes of bananas were stored at a warehouse in Phnom Penh, ready to the shipped to the Chinese market.
No official date has been given as to when the shipment will take place'.

Khmer Times (May 13) has an interview with a banana industry leader:

'Mr Hun Lak [Longmate Agriculture director]: Our investment, which was approved by the Council for the Development of Cambodia last year, sits on 1,000 hectares of land located in Chhuk district, Kampot province. The capital investment is about 32 million dollars. We have planted yellow bananas on over 400 hectares of land and so far our plantation has run for 15 months. This year, we expect to send 22,000 tonnes of fresh bananas to the Chinese market, and expand to 33,000 tonnes a year by 2020. About 120 tonnes of fresh bananas, equivalent to six containers, have been packed at our packaging house facility in Kampot province and was loaded onto the ship on May 11 ready to be sent to China. It would take about 10 days to get to the destination, namely: Dalain, Shanghai and Shenzhen cities in China. Our banana shipment to the market will pass Sihanoukville Autonomous Port and Phnom Penh Autonomous Port. If the Sihanoukville port is busy, we will carry through the Phnom Penh port instead'.

Vietnamplus.vn (May 3) looks at neighbouring Laos and bananas:

'Banana is expected to be Laos' top agricultural export in 2019 despite the local government’s ban on the expansion of plantations around the country, according to local daily Vientiane Times.
In 2017, the Southeast Asian country earned 167.9 million USD from banana exports. The figure dipped to 112 million USD in 2018, but is expected to rise to 168 million USD in 2019, according to the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
The bulk of the crop will be sold to China and some to Thailand'.

Trends
Differing crops, differing prospects.
The Phnom Penh Post (May 22) on coffee:

'Vietnam's coffee exports have fallen in both volume and value terms this year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It exported 629,000 tonnes worth $1.1 billion in the first four months, a year-on-year decrease of 13.4 per cent in volume and 22.5 per cent in value.
The trend is forecast to continue this month, the ministry said'.

Khmer Times (May 23) on silage:

'Japanese company Applied Natural Products (ANP) is planning to invest in the production of sorghum silage in Battambang province'.

Khmer Times (May 10) yet again with regards to black pepper:

'Production of renowned Kampot pepper, one of Cambodia’s only two products to be registered as a Geographical Indication in the European Union, will increase substantially this year, the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association said.
The association projects a 69-tonne hike in yields, meaning that about 90 tonnes will be produced.
However, the figure is lower than that of 2017, when more than 100 tonnes were produced, said Ngoun Lay, the association’s president'.

Khmer Times (Apr. 30) on the kingdoms rubber:

'Rubber production increased by 32 percent in the first quarter of the year, with most of it shipped abroad, according to the latest official report'.

Spoils
Besides banana's, there's plenty more fruit news. 
The Khmer Times (May 21):

'Cambodia hopes to start exporting longan to Thailand in the near future, with the two countries planning to sign an agreement on phytosanitary requirements.
Longan is poised to become the second agricultural product officially exported to Thailand following mango.
...
Un Theng, representative of an agricultural community in Pailin province, said the fruit is grown across the province, with annual yields of 7,000 tonnes.
He said the fruit now fetches from 4,000 riel ($1) to 5,000 riel ($1.25) per kilogram, adding that it is mostly bought on-site by visiting Thai merchants.
“We asked the General Department of Agriculture to conduct work on phytosanitary requirements so that the fruit can be exported legally to Thailand.”
However, even after the countries sign the protocol, Mr Theng said exporting the fruit will be troublesome.
“The General Department of Agriculture would likely require that we have a certificate for every shipment. However, we export the fruit on a daily basis and cannot wait to obtain the certificate because then the fruit could spoil,” he said.
“We want to be able to ship as much as we want with just one certificate,” he said.
He noted that a Chinese company is now building a longan processing and treatment factory in the province.
“As far as I know, the company will purchase our longan. We will be able to choose: we can sell to the Thais or to the Chinese,” he said, adding that the factory is now 80 percent complete'.

Khmer Times (May 7) rejoices on export opportunities for mangoes:

'Five local mango farms were inspected by Korean officials in March, but the results of the inspection have not been made public yet, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed this week'.

But this is not all good news. The Khmer Times (May 14):

'The first shipment of Cambodian mangoes to South Korea will be delayed after the exporter failed to meet sanitary and phytosanitary requirements in the Korean market'.

Hmmm.
Better to dry. The Khmer Times (May 15):

'A Philippine firm will soon start exporting Cambodian dried mango to the Philippines and other markets, the Philippine ambassador recently revealed'.

Khmer Times (May 16) on oranges from Battambang:

'Oranges from Battambang and Pursat may become the next product to be awarded geographical indication (GI) status in Cambodia, with the Minister of Commerce now considering whether they deserve the label'.

More downsides, especially concerning the weather prospects. Or is the climate?
The Khmer Times (May 15):

'Durian production in Kampot and Kampong Cham provinces will decrease this year due to unfavourable weather conditions, according to the provincial agriculture departments'.

 Thailand is not much better of. The Nation (Apr. 24):

'The current drought and extreme summer heat could damage half of Uttaradit’s crop of iconic Long and Lin Laplae durians, the provincial governor and farmers fear.
The much-loved varieties fetch over Bt1,000 per kilogram in fruit retail sales or a Bt50,000 reservation fee per tree even before it bears fruit. But this lower northern province has this year already seen many durian, langsat and longkong trees wither'.

Against
Some more broader societal issues.
Inclusivedevelopement in a slightly dated article (Mar. 29) notes:

'Twelve indigenous communities in Cambodia’s northeastern province of Ratanakiri scored a major victory today when the government announced it was returning to them 20 spirit mountains and dozens of other spiritually significant areas that had been grabbed by the Vietnamese agribusiness giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL). The communities have been embroiled in a decade-long land conflict with HAGL since their ancestral lands were granted to the company to develop large-scale rubber plantations.
...
The 2014 complaint related to the IFC investment in Dragon Capital’s VEIL fund, which bankrolled HAGL’s agribusiness ventures in Cambodia and Laos. In 2016 and 2017, IFC bought equity stakes totaling $125 million in two other Vietnamese financial institutions, TP Bank and VP Bank. The banks then went on to provide financing of more than $200 million dollars to HAGL, specifically to fund its rubber plantations in Cambodia, despite the pending complaint with the CAO.
The new 117-page complaint provides extensive evidence of environmental and human rights violations resulting from HAGL’s wholesale clearance of intact forests, waterways, pastures, orchards, spirit forests, graveyards and other sacred areas belonging to indigenous communities in Ratanakiri. The communities are particularly concerned about the loss of reserved land for practicing shifting cultivation, their traditional form of agriculture, and declining soil fertility on their current farming land if they are unable to shift to other areas. These cumulative losses have seriously eroded the communities’ sovereignty over their land and system of food production and consumption, which is deeply interconnected with their identity and way of life'.

Thailand's Nation (May 20) on government policies:

'The project to set up a sugar factory and a connected bagasse-fuelled power plant is posing a threat to one of the world’s renowned jasmine rice varieties – the Thung Kula Rong Hai – according to locals living in the Pathumrat district of Roi Et province.

Raising concerns about the project, locals have now rallied behind the Pathumrat Conservation Group.

“We are against the project,” the group’s core member Prayom Sa-ngiam-rat said, after submitting the signatures of more than 2,000 locals to the Roi Et governor to show the extent of local opposition.

...

Chainarong Sretthachau, a lecturer at the Mahasarakham University, disclosed that there were now nearly 30 projects to build both a sugar plant and a biomass plant at the same site in the country’s Northeast.

“This is a result of the current government’s policy to increase sugarcane plantations in the region without caring about possible adverse impacts,” he said.

Locals are worried that such large industrial operations will use lots of groundwater and local farmers will suffer. They also suspect that the power plant may consider using coal, if there are not enough bagasse for its power generation.

“We in fact should think about such industrial operations’ impacts on paddy fields,” Chainarong said.

He said the Thung Kula way of life was about people working in their paddy fields during the rainy season and herding their cattle during the dry season.

“If paddy fields in the area are replaced by sugarcane plantations, there will be no place for cattle. And very likely farmers will fall under the control of contract farming,” he warned'.

Blows
May (the month, not the Brexit PM) proved to be dark month for Monsanto and thus Bayer:
Guardian (May 7):

'Ever since Monsanto introduced its line of Roundup weedkillers to the world in 1974, the products have been touted by the company and regulators as extremely safe. The EPA reiterated that stance last week.
But the emergence of long-held corporate secrets in three public trials has revealed a covert campaign to cover-up the pesticide’s risks and raised troubling questions about lax oversight of all pesticides by the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies that are supposed to be protecting public health'.

This article really reveals how the company used the system to it's benefits. Or better said, Monsanto was allowed to design the system itself.

Buzzfeed (May 13):

'A California jury awarded $2 billion on Monday to an elderly couple that developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after years of using Monsanto's popular weed killer Roundup, delivering a major blow to the agrochemical giant'.

Japan Times (May 13):

'Germany’s Bayer apologized Sunday after revelations in France that its subsidiary Monsanto had a PR agency collate lists of politicians, scientists and journalists and their views on pesticides and GM crops'.

ewg (May 29): 

'Monsanto paid a shadowy chemical industry front group to help push back against the mounting scientific evidence that the company’s signature Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, court documents reveal'.

Reuters (May 30):

'Los Angeles County sued Monsanto Co on Thursday, seeking to force the unit of Germany’s Bayer AG to help pay for reducing PCB contamination in dozens of bodies of water'.

And what does this add to the hybrid rice discussion?
Ultimately hybrid rice is being pushed as the next big thing. However the precious little reporting in favour of hybrid rice is now also circumspect. Companies themselves can't be trusted but also seems that these corporations will do everything to tinker the system of societal checks and balances to their favour. Even buying independent thinking (see f.i. earlier postings on Nobel laureates backing  Golden Rice) has to been regarded as suspicious. 
Very few different thinkers and publishers remain ...

Failed

Keeping the system accountable. 
An Australian bank's subsidiaries actions reflect poorly on the mother company which is held accountable to their national standards. 
The documented problems concerning Cambodia's sugar "investments", which in reality are schemes to rob poorer farmers from (access to) their land. 
National retribution (read law and order) have not been forthcoming, so it's no wonder that international backers are then called upon. 
With success. 
Wonder what Mitr Phol, the Thai company heavily involved thinks?

Anyway, the Sydney Morning Herald (Oct. 11):

'ANZ Bank failed to meet its own human rights standards when it financed a Cambodian sugar plantation that was linked to forced evictions, child labour and workplace deaths, according to an Australian government investigation.
...
But the Australian Treasury division stopped short of endorsing a suggestion by non-government organisations that ANZ be forced to divest its profts from the sugar plantation loan to provide financial redress to hundreds of Cambodian families.
...
Representatives of affected Cambodian families told the inquiry that the sugar development was associated with “arbitrary arrests and intimidation of villagers, the use of child labour and dangerous working conditions which have resulted in death”.
In its response, ANZ continued to argue that its financing was linked to the development of a sugar refinery and not the plantation which had required the removal of the families.
...
Concerns about the behaviour of Phnom Penh Sugar were on the public record as early as 2010, but ANZ decided a year later in 2011 to accept the company as a client and loan it tens of millions of dollars'.

So, no compo apparently. 
Well, that also seems forthcoming.  ABC (Oct. 12):

'ANZ will consider whether to compensate hundreds of Cambodian families who were forcibly evicted from their farms to make way for a sugar plantation and refinery partially financed by the bank, chief executive Shayne Elliott has told a parliamentary committee'.

Best

Once again the non-transparent selection of what could be the globe's best rice has shifted back to Cambodia, after Thailand had won the award the last few years. The Khmer Times (Oct. 15):

'Cambodian premium fragrant rice, Malys Angkor, won the World’s Best Rice award – the fourth achievement it earned for Cambodia, after landing second in the last three years'.

However coveted, the Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 15) notes this does not mean that the national rice sector is in an upswing; au contriare:

'Cambodian rice exports fell 8.4 per cent from 421,966 tonnes in the first nine months of last year to 389,264 tonnes in the same period this year, said the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ General Directorate of Agriculture.

Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) vice-president Hun Lak said the decrease is due to the shortage of paddy to supply the industry.

The claim conflicts with government records which show national paddy surpluses of up to more than three million tonnes a year.

“The world rice market this year is good, so there are many brokers to buy the paddy directly from farmers, while our storage [facilities are not yet] ready."

“So the trend of rice exports this year has decreased. Even though we have buyers, we do not have paddy on hand to mill for exports,” Lak said'.

Reliance
While Cambodia's exports are down those of Vietnam are up. The Bangkok Post (Oct. 11):

'Vietnam is seeking to reduce its reliance on Asian rice markets while boosting the output of high-quality grain to better position itself in the global market, the government said on Thursday.
...
The government said it will seek to boost exports to Africa to 25% of its exports and to 10% for markets in the Americas.
"(Vietnam's) rice production in the coming time will focus on clean and organic rice and on diversifying its processed rice products," Tran Thanh Hai, the deputy head of the trade department of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said in the statement.
The value of Vietnam's rice exports in 2018 may rise to between $3.2 billion and $3.3 billion, an increase of up to 26.9% from $2.6 billion last year, the trade ministry said on Thursday in a separate statement on its official Facebook page.
...
The nation exported 4.89 million tonnes of rice in the first nine months of 2018, up 6.7% from a year earlier, while rice exports revenue in the nine-month period jumped 21.3% annually to $2.46 billion, official data showed'.

The Vientiane Times (Sep. 26) shares how the Lao rice market will have nought to export:

'The Nation will not face serious rice shortages but will encounter temporary difficulties in supplying the staple grain, according to the National Ad Hoc Committee in charge of the post-disaster response.
This will occur in some provinces which usually require rice supplies from others.
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Lien Thikeo representing the committee made the comment at their first press conference last week to report on initial assessments of the impact of floods around the country.
“We will not face serious shortages of food but will face temporary difficulty only,” Dr Lien said.
According to the minister, losses in the agriculture and forestry sector have been estimated at 1,260 billion kip.
Some 90,600 hectares or around 12 percent of planted rice fields were damaged by floods and 3.2 million tonnes of rice will be generated from the harvest of wet season paddy fields'.

In more detail, The Nation (Oct. 22) takes a look at the plans to wean farmers from rice:

'Agriculture Minister Grisada Boonrach has ordered officials to proceed with a corn-growing promotion scheme under the government’s San Palang Pracharat public-private partnership initiative.
Moving ahead now would help achieve Grisada’s goal of having rice farmers switch from off-season rice this year to instead growing corn for animal feed on 2 million rai of land in 33 target provinces.
He aims to reduce workplace risk to rice farmers and solve the issue of sagging agricultural product prices due to an oversupply that could drive many to call for government aid.
...
However, Dr Chokechai Aekatasanawan – director of the Kasetsart University’s National Research Centre of Millet and Corn - has advised rice farmers to be very cautious when switching to corn plantations.
“There is a risk of the whole corn plantation being ruined by drought or floods if they are not careful,” he said. “Rice farmers are usually able to curb damage to paddy to an extent when natural disasters strike, because they have had long experience growing rice. Things will be different when they handle corn – a crop they are not so familiar with.”

Not all good news though.
 
Finally, VietNam News (Sep. 26) reports on the rising sea levels, the lack of silt laden Mekong waters and their effects both on the land and rice growing in the delta:

'Because of climate change, Vietnam’s Kien Giang province is struggling to maintain its place as the country’s biggest rice producer, a distinction it has held for nearly two decades.
The province is well positioned to produce rice. Located on the coast, in an area in the Mekong Delta with some of the country’s richest soil, Kien Giang has more than 357,000 hectares of rice paddies. It produces an average of four million tonnes each year.
But ever-rising seas have deposited saltwater deeper into the province, contaminating the three key production areas of Long Xuyen Quadrangle, West Hau River and U Minh Thuong and killing off hundreds of thousands of hectares of rice over the last few years.
...
With its economy threatened by climate change, Kiên Giang is pushing ahead with new irrigation facilities to manage the rapid invasion of saltwater.
The province is investing VNĐ950 billion (US$42.2 million) to finance new sluice gates along the An Biên-An Minh coastal dyke that will prevent saltwater intrusion and retain as much fresh water as possible. The funds will also go towards a massive network of irrigation channels in the Long Xuyên Quadrangle and West Hậu River agricultural areas'.

Lamentations
Well, we are now looking at other crops and we're back where we started: sugar and Mitr Phol.

 The Nation (Oct. 15):

'Hit by low prices, Mitr Phol Group chief says producers must focus on increasing productivity and cutting cost
Challenges lie ahead for the global sugar industry and Thai producers must prepare for higher productivity and costcutting, says Isara Vongkusolkit, chairman of Mitr Phol Group, the world’s fifth-largest sugar producer,
Thai farmers should change their thinking when it comes to production, he said.
“They should not be preoccupied with prices, but should instead focus on raising production volume and lowering costs,” he responded when asked about the low prices of farm products, including sugar canes.
...
Isara conceded that new tax structure on beverages with high sugar content had adversely impacted the local sugar industry.
It is a social trend where sugar is blamed for many health issues, but many tend to overlook salt which does more harm, he lamented.
Thailand restructured its sugar industry after Brazil, a rival proฌducer, raised the issue of Thai subsidies before the World Trade Organisation.
“Market liberalisation is expected to make the Thai sugar industry more volatile in years to come,” said Nipon Poaponsakorn, veteran economist at Thailand Development Research Institute.
...
Meanwhile, the government has pledged to support sugar cane farmers with a handout of Bt50 per tonne, followed by sugar producers’ offer of Bt70 per tonne. Each farmer is entitled to receive support for up to 5,000 tonnes'.

It seems that the farmer is to blame. 
However it's very well known that because of poor factory planning, farmers are loosing big time, as their crop takes weeks from field to factory, while sugar content drops.

Phnom Penh Post (Oct. 4) has a write up on banana's:

'Longmate Agriculture Co Ltd, a joint venture between local, Chinese and Hong Kong investors, is set to send some 30,000 tonnes of its maiden banana export to China in January.

Its chairman, Phe Hokchhoun, said: “The first [shipment] of 30,000 tonnes will be exported in January and we will double the amount in the coming years.”

Cambodia inked an agreement in August with China to begin exporting the fruit to the Asian economic powerhouse'.

The Nation (Oct. 5) has an article on Thai rubber farmers receiving handouts:

'The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is planning to offer Bt3,000 compensation per rai to rubber growers who agree not to tap rubber latex in their plantations for three months.
“This is a planned measure to tackle falling rubber prices,” Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach said yesterday.
He said he had already instructed the Rubber Authority of Thailand to consult the Council of State about the possibility of seeking a Bt9-billion loan, with the government acting as a guarantor for the plan’s implementation.
...
While plantation owners are promised compensation, their farm hands look set to bear the brunt. Normally, rubber tappers get paid to do their jobs on the basis of benefit sharing. But compensation is unlikely to be shared if the plan is implemented'.

Phnom Penh Post (Sep. 25) in probably an article sourced elsewhere looks at the regions issues with palm oil:

'Indonesian palm oil farmer Kawal Surbakti says his livelihood is under attack, but the threat is not from insects or hungry orangutans eating his prized crop.

Half a world away, the European Parliament is moving to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels, while British grocer Iceland has announced it will stop using the commodity over concerns that it causes widespread environmental destruction.

Losing the key European market worries small farmers like Surbakti and millions of others in Indonesia and neighbouring Malaysia – the world’s top two producers – as prices drop for an oil found in everything from biscuits and sweets to cosmetics and vehicle gas tanks.

...

Environmentalists accuse the multibillion-dollar industry of destroying huge swaths of rainforest home to indigenous communities, orangutans and other threatened species.

Critics say that palm oil development also contributes to climate change through deliberate forest-clearing fires, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and lung-clogging smog into the region’s air.

Many under-pressure firms made “no deforestation” pledges, but activists say they are tough to monitor and frequently broken in the vast jungles of Sumatra and Borneo island.

This week, Greenpeace said a group of Indonesian palm oil firms that supply major international brands including Unilever and Nestle have cleared an area of rainforest almost twice the size of Singapore in less than three years.

A ban would threaten the livelihoods of 650,000 smallholders and over 3.2 million Malaysians who rely on the industry, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council'.

Ironically at the same time smallholders are driven off their land, larger companies simply steal their land.

More climatology. Should dams be brimming or should they fulfill their role as flood regulators?

The Nation (Oct. 10):

'Farmers are being urged to store as much water as possible and carefully plan their farming needs, as most areas in the Northeast and some parts of the North and Central areas will have no water for agriculture during the coming dry season.
With the rainy season ending within the next 20 days, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) yesterday raised concerns about a possible drought and water shortage in many parts of Thailand, after the agency’s Smart Water Operation Centre revealed that 35 reservoirs across the country have stored water below 30 per cent of capacity, and 95 reservoirs have water at 30 to 60 per cent of capacity.
...
Sutat Weesakul, Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute director, said that based on the long-term weather forecast, he expected that Thailand would face more arid conditions than usual at the peak of the dry season in the first months of next year, due to a strong El Nino in the Pacific. He suggested that farmers store their own water and refrain from growing a dry season rice crop so as to minimise the impacts of the upcoming drought on their farm'.