Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
‘Marine park’ off Koh Rong planned
The waters of the Koh Rong Archipelago may yet receive an additional layer of administrative protection, the Ministry of Environment announced last week, although how the proposed “marine park” will function remains to be seen, stakeholders said yesterday. ...
Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/marine-park-koh-rong-planned
Metfone branch found with lumber in Kandal
Authorities in Kandal province arrested 19 people in a timber raid at a Metfone shop, but released 15 after questioning, including the branch’s director. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/metfone-branch-found-lumber-kandal
Kratie cops caught ignoring timber hauls
Police in Kratie province were caught on video letting potentially illegal timber transporters pass through their checkpoints on Monday night, with provincial police yesterday suggesting they were powerless to crack down on such shipments as many transporters possessed axes and machetes and were addicted to ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kratie-cops-caught-ignoring-timber-hauls
Small-scale farmers will suffer under draft agricultural law: advocates
Farmers and agricultural NGOs slammed the seventh and final draft of a controversial agricultural law at a workshop in Phnom Penh yesterday, claiming that the law would benefit large corporations at the expense of small farmers if passed. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/small-scale-farmers-will-suffer-under-draft-agricultural-law-advocates
Handbook to boost contract farming
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries recently released a handbook on contract farming to promote agricultural leasing arrangements among farmers and buyers in the hope it will aid sustainable development of the sector. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5089360/handbook-boost-contract-farming/
Government plans new cassava policy
Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak has announced that the government will be spearheading a new National Cassava Policy which aims to address challenges in the industry and work towards ensuring a sustainable and resilient crop, strong value chains and greater regional market presence. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-plans-new-cassava-policy
High feed costs driving people away from snakehead farming
One year after lifting a decade-old ban on snakehead fish farming, the number of aquatic farms growing the fish remains surprisingly low, with the high cost of feeding them driving many away from what could otherwise be a very lucrative business. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5088049/high-feed-costs-driving-people-away-snakehead-farming/
Loaded with lizards
Military Police officials apprehended two suspects in Takeo province’s Angkor Borei district on Monday for attempting to transport around 1 tonne of wildlife, including turtles, birds and rare snakes, to Vietnam. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/loaded-lizards
Firms lose land rights
The government had reclassified four economic land concessions as state property, reclaiming almost 20,000 hectares earlier handed to private firms to use for rubber plantations. ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5087586/firms-lose-land-rights/
Authorities allowing logging, activists say
Villagers and NGOs have accused local authorities, including forestry and environmental officials, of accepting bribes from illegal loggers in exchange for unfettered logging expeditions in Preah Vihear province’s Preah Roka protected forest. ...
Soth Koemsoeun
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/authorities-allowing-logging-activists-say
Fishing and forest crackdown yields results
Nearly 3,000 cases have been detected in a crackdown on fisheries and forest crime in the first nine months of this year. The results were in a Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery report published on Friday. ...
Sen David
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5087200/fishing-forest-crackdown-yields-results/
Agriculture scholarships to help nurture local talent
A new agriculture scholarship and research grant were launched yesterday with the aim of nurturing local expertise by providing students opportunities to pursue graduate degrees and conduct research. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5086816/agriculture-scholarships-help-nurture-local-talent/
Bid to invest in silkworm farms taking shape
Six month after announcing its intentions to invest in local silk production, a Japanese beauty company, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, has released a new study on silkworms and their potential for the cosmetics industry, paving the way for more concrete action to ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085780/bid-invest-silkworm-farms-taking-shape/
Pressure kept on for land dispute solutions
An inter-ministerial joint working group yesterday said it would continue its work on resolving land disputes for 540 families battling sugarcane companies in four provinces. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5085582/pressure-kept-land-dispute-solutions/
Ministry produce plan comes up short
A $20 million Ministry of Agriculture programme has struggled to meet its goal of introducing 160 tonnes a day of high-quality locally produced vegetables to the market, with ministry officials saying that as a result of high production costs and pricing issues it was currently ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/ministry-produce-plan-comes-short
Workshop mulls which fruits sweetest for regional plan
German development agency GIZ held a consultation workshop in Phnom Penh yesterday for its two-year Facilitating Trade in Agricultural Goods in Asean (FTAG) initiative, holding discussions with Ministry of Agriculture officials and local traders aimed at identifying the most suitable fruit and vegetable crops for ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/workshop-mulls-which-fruits-sweetest-regional-plan
Kampong Thom gets community forests
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries yesterday announced the establishment of two community forest areas over 4,500 hectares in Kampong Thom province’s Santuk district. ...
Pech Sotheary
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5084730/kampong-thom-gets-community-forests/
Pesticide-wary vegetable buyers chided by premier
Prime Minister Hun Sen scolded Cambodians for complaining about pesticides contaminating their vegetables during a one-hour speech in Siem Reap yesterday, stating that the solution is simply not to buy contaminated vegetables. ...
Yon Sineat
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pesticide-wary-vegetable-buyers-chided-premier
Project to connect buyers to local produce suppliers
USAID Cambodia officially launched its Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest II project yesterday, a five-year initiative that aims to promote commercial horticulture in four Cambodian provinces and help smallholder farmers gain access to markets, reducing the country’s high dependence on imported fruits and vegetables. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/project-connect-buyers-local-produce-suppliers
Kandal centre to monitor veggie quality
A centre to improve the standard and quality of agricultural products, especially vegetables, will be set up in Kandal province soon, the director of the provincial agriculture department said yesterday. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5083526/kandal-centre-monitor-veggie-quality/
Prahoc to go international
A small community in Siem Reap province’s Chong Kneas commune is adamant about getting global recognition for their unique fermented fish paste, or prahoc, after the government endorsed a national standard for the most distinctive ingredient in Khmer cooking. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5082981/prahoc-go-international/
Chinese firm to help raise pigs in Cambodia
The Ministry of Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese agricultural company to provide technical assistance in developing pig production in Cambodia. ...
Post Staff
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chinese-firm-help-raise-pigs-cambodia
Milestones for fisheries project
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), together with the Ministry of Commerce and the Agriculture Ministry’s fisheries administration, yesterday launched a booklet titled “Fostering Fisheries Value Chain Growth and Competitiveness”. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5082630/milestones-fisheries-project/
Ministry issues cassava virus warning
The Ministry of Agriculture has alerted cassava farmers, traders, and importers about a new virus attacking cassava, instructing local authorities to work together with the industry to stem its spread. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5082521/ministry-issues-cassava-virus-warning/