A farmer collected his cassava in Preah Vihear province on January 20. PV Agriculture Department
Ten farming communities in Preah Vihear province are currently engaged in the active harvesting of organic cassava and are successfully selling their produce to contracted partners at favourable prices, a development attributed to the significantly improved quality of the starch compared to previous years.
Poeung Tryda, director of provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said on January 22 that local farmers were pleased with the pricing of cassava this year.
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He noted the communities have been harvesting the product for sale to Thai Wha in collaboration with the Cambodian Agriculture Cooperative Corporation (CCAC).
He added that this is part of a contract involving 60,000 tonnes of cassava, with 1,412 families participating through a collective agreement.
“As of today [January 22], farmers are receiving 380 riel per kilogramme [$0.093] from CACC, who use accurate scales without reducing weight. The cassava from our community also exhibits high starch levels, ranging from 27 to 30%, varying across different communities,” he said.
He said the contract stipulates a minimum starch level of 26% and the current pricing, both for wet and dried cassava, is higher than in previous years.
Kunthy Kann, managing director of CACC, noted that the company has agreements with 11 communities, but only nine are currently active as the other two were too small for contract renewal.
He emphasised that the company exclusively purchases organic cassava, grown in compliance with their standards.
He said the product is processed by Thai Wha Vietnam, a subsidiary of the Thailand-based Thai Wah Corporation.
Kann noted that a new processing plant is under construction in Oddar Meanchey province.
“Farmers growing organic cassava sell to us at a high price. We ensure full payment without deductions for soil residue, which is unlike some traders who deduct 10 to 15%,” he said.
“Actually, the price of organic cassava fluctuates depending on the general market ... This implies that if regular cassava is sold at a higher price, then the price of organic cassava will similarly be higher. The cost of organic cassava is derived from the price of normal cassava, plus additional expenses,” he explained.
He clarified that cassava contracts do not have fixed pricing due to market variability, as this could lead to conflicts between the company and farmers if the market price fluctuates significantly.
El Chhinh, president of the Cassava Farmers Association of Cambodia, reported that the average price of the commodity in January and going into February is about 360 to 370 riel ($0.088-$0.09) per kilogramme, with expectations of a rise in March.
“In early January, cassava prices dropped to just over 200 riel [$0.049], but they have since increased to over 300 riel [$0.074], which is a profitable rate for our farmers. The community is encouraging the cultivation of semi-organic, semi-general cassava, which is cost-effective and marketable,” he said.
Tryda noted that approximately 35,000ha of cassava have been planted in the province, with 40% already harvested. The current price for fresh cassava ranges from 380 to 390 riel ($0.093-$0.096) per kilogramme, with dry cassava selling for over 800 riel ($0.197) per kilogramme.
According to a report from the ministry, cassava exports in 2023 reached nearly two million tonnes, a more than 26% increase year-on-year.
However, dried cassava slices saw a decrease of over 37% compared to 2022 at nearly 1.3 million tonnes. Cassava powder exports decreased by over 45% to 36,000 tonnes while cassava waste exports rose by over 75% to 74,000 tonnes compared to 2022, as per the ministry.
