Agriculture minister Dith Tina meets with concerned farmers in Battambang’s Prek Toch commune on January 14. Agriculture minister
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries has allocated approximately $5 million in funding to support a large-scale farming community in Kampong Thom province.
This collective aims to produce Phka Rumduol Sen Kra-ob rice – a Cambodian-developed strain – on 5,000 hectares of land, according to a social media post by Prime Minister Hun Manet.
The formation of the new community, by farmers in Stung Sen town’s O'Kanthor and Srayov communes and Kampong Svay district‘s Kampong Kor commune, coincides with a decline in market prices for the Vietnamese strain OM. The falling prices have sparked protests from farmers, with unhappy OM growers demanding government intervention to protect their investment.
“The farmers have voluntarily come together to establish a large-scale modern farming community. They will cultivate Cambodian Sen Kra-ob aromatic rice on 5,000 hectares of land. Pre-arranged contract prices will start at 1,300 riel per kilogramme, or higher,” the prime minister explained.
The agriculture ministry will provide a $5 million fund for the community to borrow, eliminating the need for members to obtain high-interest loans or invest their own funds. The initiative was described as “an immediate solution by the ministry to support farmers who have been growing foreign OM rice varieties but are struggling to find markets and obtain favourable prices”.
The prime minister called on those who care about Cambodian farmers to help spread the word, encouraging them to shift to growing Khmer aromatic rice varieties, as part of modern farming communities. This approach is preferable to continuing with foreign varieties, which are challenging to market, making it difficult for the government to intervene when problems arise.
“It is time for Cambodians to unite, recognise the root causes of our issues, seize the market in our grasp and learn to take control of our destiny,” he said.
On January 14, agriculture minister Dith Tina Tina met with farmers in Battambang province’s Prek Toch commune in Mong Russei district, the scene of earlier protests. The farmers claimed that the price of OM-variety rice have fallen to 700,000 riel (approximately $175) per tonne, resulting in significant losses.
Currently, Cambodian Sen Kra-ob rice fetches 1,250 to 1,300 riel per kilogramme in the fields, while mills offer over 1,400 riel per kilogram, almost twice the rates paid for the OM strain.
Farmers in three communes have volunteered to form a large-scale modern farming community to cultivate Cambodia's fragrant rice on 5,000 hectares. STPM
The minister also met with Baitang (Kampuchea) Plc and the operators of a mill in Thma Koul district, and paid a visit to a rice collection site in Banteay Meanchey province’s Mongkol Borei district.
On the same day, ministry secretary of state Chan Sovuth inspected farms producing OM 5451 rice and in Battambang’s Banan district. He discussed the challenges faced by the farmers in the upcoming late-January early-February harvest.
According to the ministry, 3,900 hectares of OM 5451 rice were grown in the area. So far, just 5 per cent of the crop has been harvested and sold, for 750 riel per kilogramme. The harvest is expected to be completed by the end of February, with an estimated total yield of 21,450 tonnes.
“The current price of OM 5451 rice is slightly lower than last year, but the farmers' yields are higher,” said Sovuth.
He encouraged farmers to form modern farming communities and consider planting Khmer Sen Kra-ob aromatic rice, which guarantees market stability, clear buyers and higher prices.
Sovuth urged any farmers who are facing difficulties to discuss them with local authorities and the provincial agriculture department, explaining that this would help facilitate the collection of rice at fair market prices and address their challenges promptly.
