Agriculture minister Dith Tina discusses farming issues with members of a modern farming community in Kong Pisey district, Kampong Speu province, on January 13. Agriculture ministry
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has urged the Kingdom’s farmers to transition to planting Phka Rumduol rice, a Cambodian variety, by establishing modern farming communities, rather than continuing to grow the OM rice variety from Vietnam. The goal is to ensure that rice prices remain stable for the long term and to avoid the kinds of price fluctuations that are currently being experienced.
This push comes at a time when the price of OM rice has fallen to around 700,000 riel (about $175) per tonne.
The price drop sparked criticism, particularly on social media, leading nearly 20 farmers to protest by blocking National Road 5 in Battambang province’s Mong Russei district on the afternoon of January 13, 2025. The protesting farmers called for the ministry to find a resolution to the issue.
“When rice prices drop, farmers cannot survive. We cannot repay our debts ... Rice prices have dropped too much, but the costs of fertiliser keep rising," one female protester shouted through a loudspeaker.
The farmers complained that they had rented land for rice farming, with one hectare costing 1 million riel ($250), while fertiliser cost 150,000 riel ($37.50) per sack. Hiring labour to harvest one hectare cost another 300,000 riel ($75), they claimed.
Agriculture minister Dith Tina responded the same day.
He explained that those complaining about falling prices had not specified which variety of rice had dropped in value.
He emphasised that serious rice farmers distinguish between the different types of rice, such as Phka Rumduol rice, or those which are grown for export to Vietnam.
“Rice sales depend on the Vietnamese market. When we grow Cambodian rice for our mills, we maintain the market. Recently, due to complaints about falling prices, people assume all the price of all kinds of rice have dropped. However, the farmers growing rainy season rice here have not faced such issues,” he said.
He noted that there is a particular problem with dry season rice, as it is over-cultivated in the hope of making a larger profit.
According to this year's statistics, he added, there are over 700,000 hectares of dry season rice, producing nearly 5 million tonnes, with the majority being the OM rice variety from Vietnam. Therefore, preventing losses is not easy, especially as Cambodian mills are filled with Cambodian rice varieties that have not yet been sold.
The minister also pointed out that Cambodian rice prices remain high when compared to Vietnamese rice, which has recently dropped in price. He assured that there are no issues with Cambodian rice, saying that mills continue to require this type of rice for domestic markets.
However, he acknowledged that the Vietnamese OM rice variety had a strong market in the past due to a demand spike during the drought crisis, which pushed prices higher. Despite efforts by the ministry to encourage farmers to grow Phka Rumduol, some still elected to continue growing OM.
“We respect their decision if they choose to continue. If they need water, we assisted. However, we now see that the price drop of OM rice may not be easily reversed until the end of harvest season. We are preparing to help under certain necessary conditions, but we cannot provide the same support as we do for Cambodian rice, which has a domestic market,” he said.
As a long-term solution, Tina encouraged farmers who previously cultivated OM rice to switch to growing Phka Rumduol rice through the modern farming communities, starting in the upcoming planting season.
He clarified that in a modern farming community, farmers do not need to invest money to grow crops, and those without capital do not need to borrow from others individually. Instead, farmers form a community with a strong leader, and the ministry will provide loans to it with low interest rates. When harvest time comes, the loans will be repaid.
“In short, we will profit. There is no loss unless there is a weather-related issue, but even then, we won’t lose everything. If one field suffers, others will help. We share profits based on land area and yield produced together,” he explained.
“This is how we work together for a long-term solution. We should not be worried about a lack of capital; now there is funding available. Even if it’s a small profit or large, it will still be a gain. When working alone, there may be occasional large losses,” he added.
Currently, Phka Rumduol rice is sold at prices ranging from 1,250 to 1,300 riel per kilogramme at the farm level, while rice mills are buying it at more than 1,400 riels per kilogramme.
The minister also urged further efforts to educate farmers about the benefits of modern farming communities, which can better manage quantity, quality and the types of rice to be grown.
“We should focus on the rice varieties we can help with. Our yield may be lower than Vietnamese rice, but when issues arise, we will be able to support the farmers,” he said.
