Bamboo

Starting totally different this time round with an interesting byte from Laos.

On a recent highly listen worthy eatthispodcast (Jan 21), there's an interview with longtime Lao agro expert Michael Victor:

'Most recently, he’s been working with The Agro-biodiversity Initiative, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The idea is to make use of agricultural biodiversity in a sustainable way to reduce poverty and improve the livelihoods of people in upland regions. One thing the project has done is to collect all the information it can about agricultural biodiversity and make it available online'.

With sticky rice as the country's main stay both from the view of production and consumption, Michael explains how conserving past knowledge of the agro-forest livelihoods can help new generations become aware of their traditional foods and food habits which can assist in playing a major role in the conservation of Laos' forest lands. 
The website of the project is Pha Khao Lao, well worth a visit.

Raw

Cambodia's rice news still revolves around the tariffs imposed by the EU. 

The Khmer Times (Feb. 13):

'Rice exports in January saw a small decline that exporters have blamed on the European Union’s decision last month to impose tariffs on local rice.

Last month, Cambodia exported 59,625 tonnes of rice to international markets, a 5 percent drop compared to January 2018, according to a report issued yesterday by the Secretariat of One Window Service for Rice Export Formality'.

Vietnam has come to the rescue. Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 15):

'After the EU decided to impose tariffs on Cambodia’s rice exports from January, Vietnam agreed this week to expand its import quota for the Kingdom’s rice to 300,000 tonnes.

Vietnam’s actions come as the Chinese government late last night agreed to increase its import quota for the Kingdom’s rice to 400,000 tonnes this year from the previous year’s 300,000 tonnes.

...

Amru Rice (Cambodia) Co Ltd chairman and CEO Song Saran on Thursday said Vietnam is generally buying raw products such as paddy, rather than milled, rice.

However, he said the quota would encourage more Vietnamese to import the Kingdom’s rice, despite needing time to reach the 300,000-tonne quota.

“We expected more demand to come from Vietnam in the incoming years. It will take time to convince Vietnamese consumers and traders to import rice."

“It is also possible that in the long term, more Vietnamese consumers will be interested in high-quality rice since the Vietnam middle classes have grown a lot in recent years.”

Having higher quotas from China and Vietnam is helpful to the marketing of Cambodian rice. But, Chinese and Vietnamese buyers in the past did not buy as much as they agreed to. The reason, according to industry insiders, is because buyers offer lower prices'.

Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 20) repeats the above but with more detail:

'The Kingdom’s rice exports saw little change during the last three years to 2018 as the sector appears to face new challenges requiring the government and private sector to work harder to keep the industry healthy.

The challenges are centred around the EU market as the bloc imposes tariffs on Cambodia’s rice, added on to existing issues such as higher production costs and a lack of infrastructure.

However, industry insiders said the volume of this year’s rice exports will remain steady due to a new quota from China and Vietnam.

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries figures show that the Kingdom exported 626,225 tonnes of rice last year, decreasing 1.5 per cent from 635,679 tonnes in 2017.

The figures show that the main destinations were the EU with a total of 269,127 tonnes and China with 170,154 tonnes.

...

Centre for Policy Studies director Chan Sophal said that while the country has missed its target export of one million tonnes since 2015, its rice exports stand at around 600,000 tonnes. He said the higher production costs and the lack of the sector’s infrastructure are limiting competition.

“For this year’s exports, [I] predict that they may not increase because tax needs to be paid to export Cambodia’s fragrant rice to the EU market,” he said.

Sophal said that while the government is trying to boost the sector by cutting production costs to improve its competitiveness, it needs to improve infrastructure – roads and irrigation systems.

Faced with the EU’s decision to impose import tariffs, Cambodia’s rice could face a much more serious issue if the EU’s preferential Everything But Arms agreement is withdrawn.

Sophal said it is preferable if the Kingdom diversifies its export destinations, rather than rely on any one market'.

Even the Asianews Network (Feb. 21) highlights the kingdom's need to change direction:

'Prime Minister Hun Sen said the government will take more action to raise the Kingdom’s rice exports, including reducing production costs and boosting market competitiveness'.

Measures include:

'“We will set up a new policy to reduce production cost such as connecting electricity supply to regions with water access, by replacing diesel machines with electric ones,” he said.

Hun Sen also encouraged studying domestic fertiliser production to produce cheaper options for the rice industry and reduce production costs.

Relevant ministers, including those leading the Commerce and Agriculture, and Forestry and Fisheries departments, need to expand and seek new markets as Cambodia has world-famous, high-quality rice, he said'.

The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 23) reports on more possible potential lifelines for the rice sector:

'Four days after the EU imposed tariffs on rice imported from Cambodia, China agreed on Monday to increase its import quota for Cambodian rice to 400,000 tonnes this year from the previous 300,000 tonnes.

If Cambodia can supply the quantity under the new Chinese quota, then that market alone would effectively absorb 63 per cent of Cambodian rice sold abroad based on last year’s export of 626,225 tonnes

...

The Chinese market is the largest for Cambodian rice in terms of individual countries, and it is the second-largest buyer after the European bloc. Last year, China bought 170,154 tonnes of rice from Cambodia or equal to 56 per cent of the latest quota.

Centre for Policy Studies director Chan Sophal said that having a higher quota from China will be helpful to the marketing of Cambodian rice, but in the past, Chinese buyers found rice in Vietnam and Thailand more competitively priced and did not buy as much as they agreed'.

Backnews. The Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 1) reports: 

'The state-owned Rural Development Bank (RDB) distributed $50 million in loans to private rice millers last year to sustain the paddy market for farmers, according to RDB CEO Kao Thach.Thach told The Post on Thursday that despite many provinces in the Kingdom facing drought, the demand for loans remains high'.

Sought

Beyond the Khmer border, rice related news; as usual mostly from Thailand. The Bangkok Post (Feb. 19) kicks off this section with a docile bit:

'The cabinet has approved a rice insurance scheme for the 2019 season worth 1.74 billion baht, aiming to cover 30 million rai of farmland.

...

Participating farmers will be charged an insurance premium of 59 baht per rai, with the government paying 35.40 baht per rai as a subsidy, and farmers paying 23.60 baht per rai'.

Bangkok Post (Mar. 8) curiously sees farmers looking east:

'Farmers in Nakhon Sawa insist they will continue growing Vietnamese fragrant rice, an unregistered variety they say is disease resistant, amid rumours the government is trying to dissuade them by forcing the price down.

Suthep Khongmak, chairman of the Thai Rice Growers Association, said on Friday that he had recently visited Nakhon Sawan and talked with farmers who were planting Vietnamese fragrant rice variety Jasmine 85, known locally as Hom Phuang rice.  

Rumours had it that the Rice Department had sent a letter seeking cooperation from rice mills to force the price down as the variety was not a native grain and not registered in the country, Mr Suthep said.  

...

Farmers said it was easily grown, disease resistant and in high market demand. Of course they preferred it'.

 Vientiane Times (Feb 21) puts it's hopes on China:

'The Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce this week requested China to consider a rice im-port quota of 50,000 tonnes along with accepting other industrial goods as part of efforts to bol-ster bilateral trade.

...

The call for the increased rice quota comes after 20,000 tonnes were shipped to the northern neighbour in 2017 by China’s Xuanye (Lao) Co., Ltd following approval from China’s NDRC'.

None lesser than the Guardian (Jan. 30) hails SRI (System of Rice Intensification) techniques in the region:

'Jesuit priest Henri de Lalanié working in the highlands observed that by planting far fewer seeds than usual, using organic matter as a fertiliser and keeping the rice plants alternately wet and dry rather than flooded, resulted in yields that were increased by between 20 and 200%, while water use was halved. Giving plants more oxygen, minimising the competition between them and strictly controlling the water they receive is thought to make them stronger and more resilient to flood and drought.

...

Academic criticism has since all but disappeared and the SRI system of farming has been validated in hundreds of scientific papers and adopted by up to 20 million farmers in 61 countries, according to the SRI information centre in Cornell University.

“The results consistently cite yield increases, decreased use of seed, water and chemicals, and increased income,” says Norman Uphoff, professor of global agriculture at Cornell.

...

But what is now exciting some of the world’s largest food corporations and governments is that growing rice along SRI principles also greatly reduces emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane, which escapes when rice, or any other crop, lies waterlogged for weeks at a time.

....

[Sunny Verghese, CEO of Singapore-based Olam]:

“But reducing emissions from rice cannot be a trade-off that hurts farmers and communities who depend on it for their income and sustenance. We have to measure the true cost of food and dismantle the subsidy system.”

Working with German development agency GIZ and south-east Asian governments, Olam now plan to roll out SRP rice to 100,000 farmers in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and India within five years, increasing yields and incomes, and reducing methane emissions by 50%'.

Fight

The Thai junta has been trying to push through new legislation in a bid to control rice production in Thailand. The press has not been ummm ... impressed. Bangkok Post opinion (Feb. 17): 

'The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) made the right decision in backing down on the Rice Bill fight, removing controversial content which drew hefty criticism. It agreed to take out a contentious section that prohibits the trade of rice seeds which are not approved under requirements set by the bill. This positive response is good but is not enough.

...

Despite its good intentions, the bill seems to be riddled with several shortcomings. To start with, it gives too much power to the government. The rice board, in accordance with Section 6, shows an imbalanced structure with state officials, at 20, outnumbering those from farmers and rice mill groups which are to have five members each while there are three seats for experts.

...

Critics are of the opinion that the mandatory registration of rice varieties, as mentioned in Section 27, will do more harm than good to the country's rice development.

...

"If this draft was issued and became effective before 1957, Thailand would have possibly missed high-value rice varieties such as Khao Dawk Mali 105 rice, Khao Tah Haeng 17, Riceberry, Sangyod Rice and Tubtim Chumphae Rice," said Nipon Poapongsakorn, distinguished fellow at Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

...

Despite the aim to improve farmers and the country's rice production, critics are of the opinion that the bill, if it becomes law, will deal a heavy blow to farmers and harm the country's rice industry.

On top of that, the bill, which was drafted in haste, has drawn criticism for the lack of participation from major stakeholders, in particular farmers. No public hearings were held, nor consultation with the farmers'.

The Nation (Feb. 25) reports:

'Thirty-two civil networks advocating alternative farming and community rights yesterday issued an open letter calling on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to halt the controversial rice bill and other legislation before the National Legislative Assembly, citing a lack of checks and balances.

They threatened to mobilise opponents if their demands were not met.

...

They said parts of the legislation had merit, but there were also several flaws.

The main concern is a perceived limitation on farmers’ rights to use rice varieties that are available in their own localities. There are also restrictions on their production and a compulsion to yield to a new management system that could be disadvantageous to them.

As well, the letter’s authors said, the bill would give the Rice Department too much power without adequate checks and balances, while likely facilitating a monopoly on production by private firms'.

The Nation (Feb. 26) continues:

'Ad hoc panel says concerns addressed but NGO maintains it fails to protect farmers’ rights.

...

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) will today consider a draft law that could impact millions of rice farmers across the country.

The Rice Bill, which was abruptly withdrawn from an NLA meeting last week in the face of stiff opposition from farmers and academic networks, is scheduled for its second and third readings by the NLA today. 

...

Last week, farmers and academics alike had raised concerns about the proposed jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of up to Bt100,000 under the Rice Bill for those distributing uncertified rice seeds, including farmers.

...

BioThai Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, yesterday acknowledged the removal of clauses that could have adversely affected farmers. But added on Facebook: “It remains clear that this draft law ignores farmers’ rights.”

According to BioThai, exchange of rice seeds among farmers currently accounts for 21 per cent of rice-seed trade in the country. This is the biggest percentage in the sector – even higher than seeds sold by private firms, rice centres or the Rice Department'.

The Bangkok Post (Feb. 26) notes that the proposed bill has been shelved, waiting for more opportune times ahead? 

'The National Legislative Assembly president on Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of the controversial rice bill from the NLA’s business agenda'. 

Comments on this article btw were scathing. 

The Nation (Feb. 27) hasn't finished:

'The country's leading alternative farm advocacy group yesterday suggested that future parliamentarians retain the best parts of the scrapped Rice Bill while improving regulations that would otherwise give an advantage to big agro firms.

The latest version of the bill, as updated on Monday, contained some good points after amendments to the previous version, said Witoon Lianchamroon, director of the Biodiversity-Sustainable Agriculture-Sovereignty Action Thailand (BioThai Foundation)'.9

Comment from the South China Morning Post (Mar. 6):

“It has been a miscalculation of the timing and the political consequences,” said Thanapan Laiprakobsup, a researcher on rice policies in Thailand at Chulalongkorn University, who noted farmers, millers and exporters found rare common cause in opposing the bill.“[The military junta] didn’t think there would be such a big opposition … but this time all the stakeholders [except the big corporations] agreed in opposing. The rice industry wants assistance but not direct intervention.”

Short

Meanwhile and further afield, the Nepali Times (Mar. 1) has an editorial on rice policies:

'Till as late as 1985, Nepal used to be a net exporter of rice, and during the 1960s the country was exporting up to $45 million worth of rice to India every year. How the tables have turned, in 2015 Nepal has to import 531,000 tons of rice worth $210 million from India.

...

As our reportage in this edition (page 8-9) shows, a healthy monsoon allowed paddy harvests to increase by 9% up from the previous year, reaching 5.6 million tons.

...

The long and short of it is that Nepal’s rice economy is rain dependent, the government cannot take credit for the increased paddy harvests. There is precious little successive governments in the past 50 years have done to invest on improving yield, and finding a stable price for produce'.

Also in the same edition:

'Despite the fact that educated youth, and children of farmers are either migrating or moving away from the land, agriculture is still the mainstay of Nepal’s economy. Farming is also becoming increasingly feminised as most men are away in the cities or abroad for work. Which is why the increase in rice production is in one sense encouraging.

Not as encouraging, however, is that productivity is still sluggish. Paddy yield has gone up from 2.4 tons per hectare 30 years ago to only 3.6 tons today, whereas productivity is 4.1 tons in Bhutan, 6.6 in Japan, and 7.0 in South Korea. Productivity of other crops has also not gone up by much. The reason is that nearly 70% of agriculture is still rain-fed. Cheap imports of rice from India as well as the disappearance of traditional rice varieties suited to Nepal’s micro-climates have also impacted production.

...

The main reason why Nepal imports so much rice despite rising production is because our farmers are not growing the right type of rice, and the government’s efforts are not directed towards helping them grow the varieties that Nepali consumers prefer. For example, the Masuli variety of rice was common throughout eastern Nepal, and two thirds of the farmers in this region grew that variety.

Today, consumer demand has shifted to Jira Masinu variety, yet half the farmers are growing Rajit and Swarnal, which are not in high demand. This shows that our promotion and policies are running counter to consumer preference. The result is that Nepal imports Indian paddy (which is not cheaper than Nepali rice) at a time when domestic paddy floods the market, and it is also the reason why rice imports are not decreasing'.

Though it's encouraging to see a major local publisher looking into the country's main crop (rather than power politics and city affairs), a distinct failure to understand the basics of rice economics seems to have hindered drawing more logical conclusions. 

Imports / exports are very much dependent on demand. Nepal has seen a wicked growth in population which hasn't been met with any substantial expansion in cropping area: with the exception of some expansive flat lands along the border with India, most rice tilling takes place on small fields which do not favour modern tilling methods. 

The growth in population in the mountains has actually meant that field sizes are at best staying minimal, simply meaning that more persons are dependent on the production of these small fields. Self-sufficiency hardly results in agro innovation / investment, so it's no wonder productivity has not grown.

Control

Thailand's love affair with weed killers continues. The Nation (Feb. 13): 

'Consumer protection activists voiced firm objection to Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach’s proposal to ban the use of paraquat chemical in three years instead of one year.

The Hazardous Substance Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting tomorrow to reconsider the banning of three controversial agricultural chemicals – paraquat, glyphosate, and chlorpyrifos.

However, the BioThai Foundation yesterday disclosed the minister’s text message to his ministry’s senior officials, ordering that the ban on paraquat be implemented on a step-by-step basis so farmers have time to seek an alternative weed-controlling option.

...

Thailand Pesticide Alert Network coordinator Prokchol Ousap said Grisada’s proposal was unacceptable, as it went directly against the Public Health Ministry, Office of the Ombudsman and the National Human Rights Commission’s decision to not just ban paraquat, but also glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, by the end of 2019'.

The Nation (Feb. 15):

'Paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos are still allowed for use in Thailand for at least another two years, after the Hazardous Substance Committee yesterday reaffirmed its previous decision not to ban the three controversial agrochemicals'.

 Bangkok Post adds with an opinion piece (Feb. 18):

'Big business won. Again. We should not be surprised nor disappointed at the government's decision to support the weed killer paraquat which poisons the environment and makes us sick. We should be angry.  

We should not be angry at only the decision by the Industry Ministry's Hazardous Substance Committee to allow the use of this toxic farm chemical, which has already been banned in 53 countries around around the globe. This shameful decision is only a symptom. We should target the illness itself -- the closed, top-down officialdom which is not transparent nor accountable to anyone but the mandarins' own bank accounts.

...

Biothai, the main civic group campaigning for a ban on paraquat, demanded to know the committee members' voting decisions. The answer is a big "no", because such demands attack the heart of the power of a centralised bureaucratic system'.

While on the subject of weeds and killers, Mongabay has an article (Mar. 5) on Monsanto's glyphosphate and winning awards:

'Science advances by debate. Unlike in politics, scientific arguments need to be backed by evidence and scientific reasoning.

These concerns surfaced again with the recent decision by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to award, and then suspend its 2019 Scientific Freedom and Responsibility Award.

On Feb. 4, the AAAS announced that “two public health researchers who battled powerful corporate interests to uncover the deadly effects of industrial herbicides, solving a medical mystery and protecting the health of farming communities across the world” were the latest winners of the award.

...

Two days later, the AAAS changed its mind: “We are taking steps to reassess the 2019 Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, after concerns were voiced by scientists and members.

...

On Feb. 28, Mongabay reported that the AAAS had appointed a panel of experts to evaluate the scientific findings underlying the awards selection.

Though the science involved could be questioned, there are other opinions which try to lay a relation between agribusiness and the AAAS.

Odd business. 

Talking of odd business, the Khmer Times (KT, Feb. 18) sat down with 

'Martin Wolf, BASF’s business director for Asean, to discuss the company’s short and long-term plans in Cambodia as well as the industry’s current situation and outlook'.

Nothing controversial of course.

'KT: What local agricultural products will you be focusing on first?Mr Wolf: First, we are targeting the rice sector. We want to help farmers manage their fields, improve seeds and control pests'.

(Alarm bells ringing)

Understanding

The Khmer Times (Feb. 25) has an article on another project upstart (read: rehash of same old song) by the ADB this time:

'The bank added that the programme will help reduce the proportion of raw products that are exported, particularly for cassava, paddy rice, mango and cashew nuts.Takeshi Ueda, ADB agricultural economist, told Khmer Times that most exported Cambodian agricultural products leave the country in raw form'.

Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 22) takes a peek at cashew economics:

'Cashew nut prices saw a five per cent drop compared to last year due to more supply than demand at the beginning of the harvest season in Kampong Thom province – the Kingdom’s largest regional producer of the nut – according to provincial authorities.

...

Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture and the Vietnamese Cashew Association (Vinacas) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year to increase Cambodia’s cashew nut exports to one million tonnes by 2028.

...

However, no official deal has been made with Vietnamese companies through the MoU, according to Suy Kokthean, vice-president of the Cashew Nut Association of Kampong Thom province.

“We have not heard anything about any official deal or technical assistance from Vietnamese firms,” he said.

The Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 8) on cassava:

'The cassava yield in the provinces bordering Thailand saw a decrease in the 2018-2019 season, with a slight fluctuation in prices, said provincial agricultural authorities.Battambang provincial Department of Commerce director Kim Hout said the decline in cultivation was due to a large number of farmers shifting to other crops, such as corn to adjust to market trends'.

The Khmer Times (Feb. 19) notes a lesser known rice alternative:

'With the country’s first-ever harvest of organic cassava having recently come to an end, farmers say they are happy with the price the crop is fetching, with some earning as much as $2,350 per hectare.Un Sokun, the leader of an agricultural community in Kampong Thom province, told Khmer Times that cassava farmers in her community are earning more this season after having gone organic.She said farmers in her community are being paid $94 per tonne of high-quality organic cassava, with lower quality organic cassava selling for $89. Non-organic cassava, by contrast, generally fetches just $77 per tonne, she said....“Our fresh organic cassava is sent to Vietnam for processing but soon we will be able to process in Cambodia as a new plant is opening in Oddar Meanchey,” he [Kunthy Kann, Cambodian Agriculture Cooperative Cooperation managing director] said'.

Stress

The Khmer Times (Mar. 7) mentions that:

'The Ministry of Agriculture will focus on diversifying agricultural production across the country to meet rising demand for vegetables and fruits from locals and visitors.The goal of diversifying and expanding agricultural output was announced yesterday by Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon during a meeting with Jiangfeng Zhang, director of the Asian Development Bank’s environment, natural resources and agriculture division.Mr Sakhon stressed the need to focus on products other than rice, a crop that has been prioritised in the last few years'. 

Phnom Penh Post (Mar. 8) on fruits, mango:

'Mango production is expected to decrease this year as climate change severely impacts yields, according to a mango association in Kampong Speu province – the Kingdom’s largest regional producer of the fruit.Kampong Speu Mangoes Association president In Chayvan said the impact of climate change could reduce yields by around 50 per cent this year.“Mango production this year will not be as good as last year as effects of climate change – too much rain and too much drought – will reduce yields this year,” he said, adding that the main yearly harvest will begin next month....The installation of a Hyundai-owned fruit treatment facility in Kampong Speu province was completed this month, with mangoes set for export to South Korea. The company plans to export 1,700 tonnes in its first year of operation.Kim La, a Kampong Speu province mango farmer and an association members, said her 5ha mango farm yielded 60 tonnes in last season’s harvest.However, she said yields will not increase this harvest season – starting from March – as the weather is currently too hot.“I am now concerned about the coming season, as the weather is really hot and dry. I am afraid my mango trees cannot yield big fruit,” she said'.

Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 12) on Pailin longans:

'The trend of longan cultivation in Pailin Province continues to expand as farmers see the fruit as more and more profitable, according to provincial Department of Agriculture deputy director Im Sophoeun.He said longan is regarded as the main agricultural product of the province.Provincial Department of Agriculture figures show that farmers expanded longan cultivation to 3,983.5ha last year, a 24.4 per cent increase from 3,201ha in 2017.The report shows that last year, total yield reached 3,997 tonnes, with a market price of $1 per kg'.

And finally, the Phnom Penh Post (Feb. 12) on Kampot pepper:

'Yields of Kampot pepper, which was awarded geographical indication (GI) status in 2016, are projected to increase in the upcoming harvest season despite forecasts of heavy drought, the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association (KPPA) said on Sunday.Association president Ngoun Lay said that even after the government announced predictions of drought for this year, the next harvest season is expected to produce better yields.“Our next harvesting season will reach 90 tonnes of Kampot pepper as farmers are more experienced with drought conditions and have a better understanding of water management.

What

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

Xinhua (Jul. 11) reports on exports:

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

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

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

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

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

The Khmer Times (Jul. 9) also noted:

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

Surge

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

The Bangkok Post (May 10):

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

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

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

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

Sweet 'n sour

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

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

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

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

Khmer Times (Jul. 6) looks at pepper:

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

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

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

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

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

Neglect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Double

The best news on rice production in Cambodia may well be from an official news source, the Agence Kampuchea Presse (Jun. 5):

'Demand for organic rice is on the upturn both in domestic and international markets, according to local media report.
The report examined the trend grounding on positive performance of a leading local non-governmental organisation known as CEDAC – Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture – that promotes organic rice growing and exports.
CEDAC Executive Director Mr. Sam Vitou was quoted claiming that his organisation has so far purchased almost 5,000 tons of organic rice from farmers – the amount that doubles last year, thanks to the increasing demand for the product.
According to the executive director, the increase has been driven by both local and international markets; and the current biggest markets for the organic rice are the United States of America and Hong Kong of China.
Inspired by the trend, CEDAC is expected to encourage some 2,500 farmer households in ten provinces of Cambodia to produce 12,000 tons of organic rice for 2017-2018.
The exporting organic rice, emphasised the source, undergoes standardised technical testing for harmful chemical substances in order to guarantee the product quality among the customers'.

Meanwhile officialdom is still in a quandary as to what to call Cambodian rice. Or better said, how to market Cambodian rice produce. The Khmer Times (Jun. 5):

'Government task forces will meet this week to finalise a single brand under which Cambodian rice will be exported.
Those at the meeting will include the Cambodia Rice Federation, the Agriculture Ministry and the Commerce Ministry.
“We don’t know when the exact date for registration will be because they just applied for registration last week,” said Op Rady, director of the intellectual property rights department of the Ministry of Commerce.
“We have talked several times. The CRF wants to use the name Angkor Malis but the Agriculture Ministry suggested it reconsider the name.
Hean Vanhan, director-general the general directorate of agriculture, said registration of a single rice brand was the duty of the commerce ministry.
Agriculture officials said Cambodia had more than 10 varieties of fragrant rice, and should not single out one as a single brand.
...
He suggested that a non-specific ‘Angkor Rice,’ with the specific variety written underneath would help clear up the confusion and prevent people from thinking they were buying a specific rice variety when they might be buying a different premium rice'.

Rice storage means good. The Khmer Times (Jun. 7):

'Rice millers can expect a certain degree of price stability in their exports with the construction of a 200,000-tonne capacity rice warehouse and a 3,000-tonne silo facility in Battambang province'.

But is the following still good? The Phnom Penh Post (Jul. 3):

'A proposal for a massive warehouse and silo that has attracted two Chinese investors aims to fill the Kingdom’s conspicuous gap in paddy rice storage capacity, which still falls 60 percent short of the level needed for the country to achieve its goal of 1 million tonnes of annual rice exports.
Private Chinese firms Jilin Province Investment Group Co Ltd and Jilin Tianzhong Agriculture Development Co Ltd signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with local conglomerate Soma Group to build a “huge” storage facility to serve Cambodia’s rice producers.
According to Hun Lak, vice president of the Cambodia Rice Federation, the companies will conduct a feasibility study to determine the location and investment size of the initial storage complex, with Battambang and Takeo provinces favoured. Additional storage facilities could be developed in other areas, he said'.

And then some news on how international donors keep the ball rolling. The Cambodia Daily (Jun. 21):

'A World Bank subsidiary will soon start training 2,000 farmers contracted to supply a leading Cambodian rice exporter on how to meet an international farming standard.
The International Finance Corporation will work with Amru Rice over three years to implement the U.N.-led Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) in Kompong Cham province, the two organizations announced on Tuesday in a statement.
Farmers will be scored on 46 criteria, including record keeping, seed variety, pesticide choice, water management and the use of child labor.
Hean Vanhorn, deputy director-general at the Agriculture Ministry, said it was the first time the standard was being introduced to the sector, and explained that the project could help contract farmers market their paddy rice'.

Bird conservation and dry season rice cropping. A very interesting article though the obvious outcome may well be depressing. Conservation.com (Jun. 20):

'I’d been in Cambodia six weeks, and this was one of the last villages left to survey. I was researching the impact of local communities’ livelihoods on a critically endangered bustard species; the Bengal florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis). Fewer than 1,500 florican remain globally, over 60% of which seasonally reside in the grasslands of Kampong Thom province, central Cambodia.
Male florican are distinctive. If you’re lucky, between February and April you may spy their beautiful black and white bodies leaping 30 metres into the air; performing to impress shy females. However, opportunities for encountering such moments are increasingly rare. In recent decades florican have undergone dramatic population declines, initially driven by over-hunting, but now by widespread habitat loss, primarily due to rice cultivation.
...
It was believed dry season rice was typically grown between December and March. However, my interviews revealed that nearly half of all dry season rice farmers now farm two crops of rice a year, extending the rice cultivation season into June. This is a relatively recent and previously undocumented trend, with significant implications for florican, who visit grasslands from February to July. Expansion of dry season rice not only means less habitat is available for floricans to forage and breed, but it also reduces the time for which it is available. Floricans return to the same large territories each year to mate. This means the miniscule populations that remain are likely returning to increasingly sub-optimal habitat.
In addition, around 95% of the dry season rice farmers I spoke to said that they use fertiliser or pesticides on their crop. Many have to borrow money in order to do so, and sometimes if their crops fail or the market collapses, they may find themselves indebted to credit lenders, forced to sell land to clear their debts. There are also considerable environmental and ecological implications. Agro-chemicals not only reduce food availability, but they typically include substances banned in the West, including DDT, a chemical known to cause egg thinning in birds'.

Peace
Thailand is in the throes of the aftermath of the democratically endorsed and highly popular rice pledging scheme, which current junta uses as a stick to thrash it's democratic predecessor. The Asian Correspondent (Jun. 28):

'IN an editorial this week, Bangkok-based daily The Nation issued a crucial reminder to the country – let cooler heads prevail when the curtains close on Yingluck Shinawatra’s rice subsidy case.
The popular English-language broadsheet’s editors said the outcome of the case, whichever way it goes, has the potential of turning what they described as a period of “suspenseful peace” into one of major uproar'.

Oddly it ends the article thus:

'The only way to avoid turmoil and this “vicious cycle” of unrest, they said, is by calmly looking at evidence from both sides with open minds before passing judgment'.

As if the Thai judiciary normally functions differently.

The Bangkok Post (Jul. 1) mentions on-subject:

'The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has pushed forward with its investigation into allegations of corruption in the rice-pledging scheme by inviting for questioning suspects in five cases, the PACC chief says'.

Meanwhile the old crop is getting sold. Bangkok Post (Jun. 7):

'The National Rice Policy Committee has approved the 16.56-billion-baht sale of 1.66 million tonnes of old rice to auction winners, leaving only 160,000 tonnes of edible rice in the stockpile.
...
Since the May 2014 coup, the military government has sold more than 14 million tonnes of old rice by auction, fetching about 130 billion baht. The Commerce Ministry plans to call for bids for old rice fit for animal feed this month, and for ethyl alcohol production next month'.

What this means for the market. The Bangkok Post (Jun 20):

'With state rice stockpiles nearly sold off and major rice-producing nations suffering bad weather, Thai rice exports are likely to hit a record high this year, say government and industry officials.
Thailand's 2017 rice exports are tipped to reach 11 million tonnes, the most ever, because of rising demand in rice-importing countries at a time that production in grower countries is falling.
...
But Thai rice supply is limited because of the 2016 drought and the government's policy to encourage farmers to switch to other lucrative crops such as sugar, which has substantially cut supply from the off-season crop dropped by more than 40% from 9-10 million tonnes on average over the past few years to just 5 million tonnes this year, according to data supplied by the Agriculture Ministry'.

So what does the current regime plan? The Bangkok Post (Jun. 28):

'The cabinet yesterday approved a rice insurance scheme for the first crop of the 2017 season, worth 2 billion baht.
...
The government expects the scheme to cover 25-30 million rai of rice farmland. The scheme covers six natural disasters: floods, drought, storms, cold, hail and fires'.

Foreign good
Over to Vietnam. Vietnam has it's own problems concerned with marketing their rice produce. Vietnamnet (Jun. 12):

'According to VIBIZ, the market research and analysis website owned by Global Yoilo JSC, 64 percent of rice in the domestic market is Vietnamese but is labeled as foreign rice so that sellers can make higher profits.
Meanwhile, 53 percent of consumers say they like foreign rice grown in Thailand, Cambodia and Japan.
A report of the company said of the 67 rice products in the domestic market, only 21 products are given Vietnamese names.
...
“Vietnamese prefer foreign rice because they hear Thai and Japanese farmers grow rice with high technologies,” he [Nguyen Van Nam, a renowned economist, and former head of the Trade Research Institute] explained. “They have no information about how rice is grown in Vietnam.”
“Therefore, merchants give foreign names to Vietnam’s rice to sell more products,” he said, adding that Vietnam only imports rice from Cambodia and Thailand in small quantities.
Tran Duy Quy, former head of the Institute of Agricultural Genetics of Vietnam, confirmed that Vietnam has been importing rice from Cambodia and Thailand, but in small quantities. As for the so called ‘Japanese rice’, this is Vietnam’s rice labeled as Japanese rice'.

Vietnam is trying to free up it's export process. Vietnamnet (Jun 21):

'The decree, replacing Decree 109/2010/NĐ-CP on rice export and business, is expected to take effect from January 1, 2018, after which businesses will be able to engage in the free trade of rice without quantitative restrictions.
The decree also removes regulations of criteria for businesses to be eligible to export rice, as well as the floor prices set for rice shipments.
...
Vo Minh Khai, director-general of Vien Phu Organic – Healthy Food Company from the southernmost province of Ca Mau, said that over the past years, rice enterprises that were small scale but produced high-quality rice had not been able to bring their products to the world market.
To export their rice, they had to depend on large companies as intermediaries. Therefore, revising the old decree would create a level-playing field for small rice export firms to proactively access the global market, Khai said.
The new document will also enable businesses to invest in producing high-quality products to compete with rivals from Thailand and Cambodia, he added'.

Likewise, the Hanoi Times (Jun. 24) reports on rice prices looking better:

'According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the demand for Vietnam’s 5 percent broken rice, has been rising, hitting 390 USD per tonne in the early days of June, against 360 USD per tonne to 380 USD per tonne in late May'.

Even without the dam future, Vietnam seems already to be vexed by Mekong upstream efforts which means less water in the delta. Vietnamnet (Jun. 20):

'According to Nguyen Nhan Quang, a river basin management expert, Thailand has had 990 more projects in the northeast on using Mekong’s water to serve irrigation in the area.
In Cambodia, the strategy on stepping up rice cultivation for export is being implemented, with the country seeking cooperation with foreign countries, mostly from China, to expand the irrigation network.In Laos, the current total irrigation area is 166,476 hectares, but the figure is expected to increase by 213,062 hectares by 2030.
As upstream countries try to expand water use, this will be a great challenge for Vietnam’s Mekong Delta'.

Into the deep
From the Phnom Penh Post (Jun. 21), an article about the downward trend for pepper growers:

'The rapid expansion of pepper cultivation in Cambodia coincides with the spice’s plummeting world prices, creating concerns that the glut of pepper ripening on vines across the Kingdom could further erode next season’s market prices and push the sector toward a collapse. Hean Vanhan, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, said large-scale planting in recent years, encouraged by the soaring prices, has significantly boosted Cambodia’s pepper production. He said total production doubled last year and has increased eight-fold since 2013, with the impact on supply magnified by similar output growth in other major pepper producing countries.
“According to our figures, the growth of pepper production has increased dramatically, but now the big concern for farmers is that the market has stagnated,” he said yesterday.
Ministry data show total pepper production rose to 20,054 tonnes this year, compared to 11,819 tonnes in 2016, and just 2,498 tonnes in 2013. More than 5,000 hectares are now cultivated with pepper, compared to just 400 hectares in 2013.
...
Rothsan [Var Rothsan, adviser to the Ministry of Commerce] added that the ministry was also working on developing a new collective trademark for Cambodian pepper aimed at raising the profile of locally produced, non-GI pepper in international markets – a move that could help reduce the reliance on Vietnamese brokers to access these markets.
...
Yin Sopha, executive director for Memot Dar Pepper Agriculture Development Cooperative, said the domestic farm-gate price of black pepper had fallen to $3.5 per kilo, well below the 2014 high tide mark of $10.5 per kilo. He added that the decline was driving farmers deep into debt'.

Cassava has also all the entrapment's associated with lower prices. The Phnom Penh Post (Jun. 27):

'Cassava prices in Cambodia experienced a sharp drop this month leading to heavy losses for smallholder farmers unable to quickly switch to more profitable crops and recoup their mounting losses, a provincial agriculture official said yesterday.
Faced with low prices of around 144 riel ($0.035) per kilo of fresh cassava at the beginning of the harvest season, which runs from December to April, farmers decided to delay collecting the starchy tuber, only to see prices plummet to a historical low of 108 riel ($0.026) per kilo earlier this month, explained Soy Sopath, agricultural director for Pailin province at the Ministry of Agriculture.
With a breakeven point of 180 riel ($0.044) for fresh cassava, the farmer’s fate went from bad to worse as they are now forced to sell their products at a large loss, he said.
...
Cassava, which is considered to be a cash crop in Cambodia as it is rarely consumed by locals, is popular to grow as it requires less water and fertilisers, and is less prone to disease than other crops, Sopath explained. The government has made numerous attempts to wean Cambodian farmers away from cassava, yet its cultivation continues to expand.
“Farmers keep harvesting cassava because it is not a complicated crop to grow, and its price might increase next season,” he said.
However, falling prices have seen a decline in cultivation in Pailin province, the heartland of cassava cultivation where 90 percent of farmers are involved in the sector. Total cultivation in the province decreased 20 percent this season compared to last, according to Sopath, who said he expected further decline as farmers look to other more profitable crops.
...
However, Soeng Sophary, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce, explained that the Ministry of Agriculture and farmers needed to work together to collect and share information in order to better understand price trends in foreign markets so that farmers could time cassava cultivation to satisfy external demand.
“If farmers and agriculture officials cooperate and work smartly to find the right time for cultivation then they would not suffer from such heavy losses,” she said. “In order to add value to cassava, we need to have better quality standards and more technical expertise for processing it in factories.”

But not all alternatives are in the doldrums. The Phnom Penh Post (Jun. 7) reports on coconut oil.

'The Kingdom’s nascent coconut oil industry is facing a shortage of raw materials as local farmers look to make a quick profit by selling young coconuts to drink vendors rather than letting them mature and sell them to health care and cosmetics producers.
Khdib Sreymich, general manager of Coco Khmer, a Cambodia-based producer of virgin coconut oil, which also manufactures a line of coconut-based health and beauty products, said her company is forced to import coconuts from Vietnamese suppliers to meet consumer demand for the company’s products. She explained that the farmers preferred to sell the coconuts when they were young, though mature fruits, which can be sold for higher prices, are needed for coconut oil production.
According to Sreymich, domestic production can only satisfy 10 percent of the company’s demand for mature coconuts. The remaining 90 percent must be imported from Vietnam'.

And then corn. The Phnom Penh Post (Jun. 22):

'Growing demand for animal feed is driving up both the demand and price of corn, with smallholder farmers claiming the field crop offers a more stable market than cassava.
“If we look at the trends in farming, this sector [corn] has a lot more options than other crops, and is less challenging,” said Lor Reaksmey, spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture. He added that corn, also known as maize, is needed for food consumption and animal feed mills, with high demand both in the domestic and international markets.
Corn is grown on more than 140,000 hectares in Cambodia and can be harvested twice a year, with the main areas of cultivation being Battambang, Preah Vihear and Kandal provinces. Each hectare yields about 4.5 tonnes, putting Cambodia’s total production at around 640,000 tonnes last year.
Reaksmey explained that over 60 percent of domestically produced corn is earmarked for export, with most of these shipments destined for feed mills in Thailand and Vietnam. The remainder is sold to the Kingdom’s feed mills, with a small amount purchased by local food-processing plants and retailers.
...
Ministry of Agriculture data shows total corn exports reached 70,487 tonnes last year, a 25 percent increase over 2015.
Despite this rise, local production cannot satisfy the voracious appetite of the Kingdom’s 15 feed mills, said Hort Pheng, director of the Industrial Affairs Department at the Ministry of Industry and Handicrafts'.

A Chinese agrofair in Phnom Penh. Phnom Penh Post (Jun. 29):

'A major international agricultural fair that brought over 800 Chinese companies to the capital wrapped up yesterday with none of the expected investment agreements signed as Chinese investors appeared cautious about setting up agro-processing facilities in the Kingdom, organisers said.
The inaugural International Agriculture Products and Expository kicked off on June 25, drawing some 800 investors from China and 200 local firms to a four-day expo aimed at showcasing the investment potential of Cambodia’s agricultural sector.
Chea Heng, president of the Cambodia-China Development Friendship Alliance (CCDFA), one the expo’s local organisers, said several major memoranda of understanding (MoUs) had been expected during the fair, but none materialised'.

Expiration date
We've focused earlier on the banana growing rage from China which has set up shop in Laos and northern Thailand. The Vientiane Times (Jun. 10) notes that banana growing is going out of fashion as the land leasers are being held to account:

'A number of banana farms in Oudomxay province have ceased operations after their contracts expired following numerous complaints from local residents that their operations were negatively affecting the environment.
The farms are operated by 11 concession holders. Seven companies are still continuing their operations but four companies’ contracts have expired and the authorities will not renew them.
A provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department official, Mr Bounyeun Xayyaven told Vientiane Times yesterday the 11 companies had concessions and rented the land of local residents to operate their banana farms, but four of those companies had ended their work after their contracts expired.
...
According to a National Assembly report in October last year, some provinces are using too many insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilisers, but this issue did not feature in reports submitted to the Assembly.
Some people became ill and some allegedly died after pesticide was sprayed on farms, but the reports did not say where this had occurred'.