Nhean Chamrong / Khmer Times

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Monday reported that Battambang, a leading rice-producing province of Cambodia, exceeded 330 percent of planned capacity last year, overcoming challenges such as water shortage and falling prices.

Announcing this during a meeting organised to discuss agricultural production and rice harvest season for the upcoming Chinese and Vietnamese New Year in Battambang on January 20, Chan Sovuth, Secretary of State of MAFF, said Battambang produced 330 percent over the planned target last year.

The MAFF Secretary expressed concern about the significant decline in market prices during the harvest season which coincides with the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year, potentially affecting farmers’ income.

Sovuth recommended that agricultural civil servants work closely with farmers to form modern agricultural communities to provide numerous benefits, including the use of local pure seeds as well as the application of agricultural fertilisers.

“Farmers participating in the modern agricultural community will be informed about potential crops with higher market prices and how to apply fertilisers following standard requirements, a mechanism to reduce production costs, maximise output, and contribute to achieving real economic efficiency,” he said.

Besides, he also instructed the leaders and officials of the Battambang Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery to collect statistics across communes and districts related to the land rent for growing rice and the actual use of seeds and fertilisers by local farmers.

“The statistics will be used to ensure benefits for all farmers and related stakeholders by disseminating rice farming procedures following technical specifications, market value, market prices, and product quality.”

In particular, to provide detailed statistics on the rice mills in Battambang to farmers, including the processing capacity and infrastructure, boosting efficiency in collecting, storing, and purchasing rice from farmers promptly, ensuring smooth operations and minimising delays, he concluded.

It may be informed that on January 15, Sovuth led the agricultural experts to address the rice price issues in Moung Ruessei and Rukhak Kiri districts of Battambang aimed at resolving problems and preventing actions that could cause social insecurity or harm the interests of others.

During the visit, the MAFF Secretary urged farmers to report to the relevant authorities including commune agricultural officials and representatives of the provincial department of agriculture.

He stressed that the provincial department of agriculture should prepare rice fields and conduct experiments comparing local rice varieties with imported varieties (OM5451), offering farmers a clearer understanding of the benefits of promoting local varieties.

Responding to a query from Khmer Times about the exact amount of rice production, Heng Sith, an agricultural officer in Battambang responsible for planning and statistics, said, “Currently, we do not have exact figures due to the ongoing harvest season, which is scheduled to conclude in February.”

“However, data from MAFF highlights an anticipated increase, with rice fields expanding from 600,000 hectares in 2023 to 900,000 hectares in 2024.”

While statistics of rice fields show a 30 percent increase, farmers this year are able to cultivate three crops annually, compared to only two in the previous year attributed to enhanced technical support and efficient supply chains, he added.

Published Date: January 22, 2025