Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Penalties for logging falling
A recent government report on protecting the country’s natural resources reveals that a total of 1,166 crimes were recorded, but only 873 ended up in court and only 293 of those cases resulted in small fines being issued. The report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry ...
May Titthara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31256/penalties-for-logging-falling/
Gov’t eyes million-tonne rice quota deal with Indonesia
Cambodia is close to signing an ambitious agreement with the Indonesian government that would pave the way for the Kingdom’s rice producers to export 1 million tonnes of rice under a new quota scheme, a state official said yesterday. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/govt-eyes-million-tonne-rice-quota-deal-indonesia
Soggy forecast for rice farmers
Extreme weather attributed to the tail-end of an El Niño event continues to wreak havoc on the nation’s agricultural sector, with more than 20,000 hectares of rice fields damaged so far this year, a government agricultural expert said yesterday. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/soggy-forecast-rice-farmers
Rubber exports keep rising
Rubber exports have continued to rise in the first nine months of the year, despite the fall and current stagnation of prices as global demand continues to stall, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). ...
May Kunmakara
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31095/rubber-exports-keep-rising/
Forestry crimes triple, but fines down: report
Illegal forest clearing is taking place at about three times the rate it did last year, but fines for forestry and wildlife crimes have fallen dramatically, according to a progress report released last week by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries (MAFF). ...
Mech Dara and Jack Davies
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/forestry-crimes-triple-fines-down-report
Chinese firm to build $2 bil agriculture SEZ
Kampong Speu province will soon be home to a Chinese-funded agricultural special economic zone (SEZ) with facilities to research plant diseases, after the Ministry of Agriculture and Tian Rui (Cambodia) Agricultural Cooperation SEZ Co., signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) yesterday. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/31025/chinese-firm-to-build---2-bil-agriculture-sez--/
GI status sought for Battambang oranges
Amid increased demand for oranges grown in Battambang province, the Ministry of Agriculture is seeking to have the fruit’s unique and sought-after flavor recognized under the European Union’s geographical identification (GI) status. Ministry spokesperson Lor Reaksmey explained that the application process, involving ministry officials and international ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30800/gi-status-sought-for-battambang-oranges/
Sar Kheng challenges minister on priorities
Interior Minister Sar Kheng lashed out at Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon yesterday for failing to attend a meeting on the latest government directive to reduce the exploitation of natural resources, saying the minister should get his priorities straight. ...
Kong Meta and Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/sar-kheng-challenges-minister-priorities
Universities in agricultural innovation
As rice farmers struggle to cope with the aftereffects of one of the worst droughts in Cambodia’s recent history and moribund infrastructure makes it difficult to transport and sell their products across the country, universities here and in the United States are joining forces to ...
Safiya Charles
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/30110/universities-in-agricultural-innovation/
Centre eyes potatoes for a changing diet
Cambodia’s first experimental farm and research centre for potato cultivation opened yesterday as experts confirmed that the Kingdom’s soils are suitable for the starchy tuber – raising hopes that local crops could one day satisfy the fast-food cravings that have put potatoes in high demand. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/centre-eyes-potatoes-changing-diet
Rice millers reined in
The Ministry of Agriculture has taken action to prevent millers from purchasing paddy rice at below market price from farmers, currently struggling to produce enough marketable rice crop to make ends meet. The ministry, in a statement issued on Monday, ordered all provincial agricultural departments to ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29694/rice-millers-reined-in/
US to help tackle illegal fishing
US Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt said the US wanted to sign an agreement with Cambodia to better manage state-owned ports in the Kingdom to tackle issues related to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. ...
Tin Sokhavuth
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/29567/us-to-help-tackle-illegal-fishing/
Big timber stash found in Pursat
An NGO operating in the Pursat section of the protected Cardamom Mountains uncovered 50 cubic metres of luxury timber yesterday. Chea Hean, director of the Natural Resource and Wildlife Preservation Organisation, said he and four colleagues uncovered the illicit stash as part of an ongoing investigation, ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/big-timber-stash-found-pursat
Government pledges thirty percent boost in forest rangers by 2017
The government said this week it wanted to increase by at least 30 percent the number of forest rangers working next year in Cambodia’s wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and other protected areas to guard against encroaching logging, poaching and farming. ...
Rayna Stackhouse
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/government-pledges-thirty-percent-boost-forest-rangers-2017-117134/
Civil society groups secure pledges from PM Hun Sen at forestry forum
Billed as a Cambodian first, the invitation of 500 civil society and community representatives to a forum on environmental issues with Prime Minister Hun Sen proved largely a platform for the premier to hold forth on policy and politics, with many observers bemoaning the sidelining ...
Jack Davies and Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/civil-society-groups-secure-pledges-pm-hun-sen-forestry-forum
Rice farmers bracing for droughts, floods
Though the rice-planting season has started and nationwide rice cultivation this month has been higher than planned, farmers are worried that adverse weather events caused by climate change will ruin their crops. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries’ planning and statistics department, the ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28321/rice-farmers-bracing-for-droughts--floods/
ELC holders put onus for disputes on gov’t
Recently appointed Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon held a first-ever meeting with economic land concession (ELC) grantees yesterday and was promptly met with a barrage of complaints. ...
Phak Seangly and Chin Sreyleap
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/elc-holders-put-onus-disputes-govt
Rice sector continues its struggle in first half
Cambodian rice exports decreased nearly 6 per cent year-on-year during the first semester, reinforcing concerns about the future of the rice industry, the Kingdom’s most important agricultural sector. ...
Sorn Sarath
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rice-sector-continues-its-struggle-first-half
Rice exports drop amid calls for intervention
Rice exports fell almost 6 percent during the first half of the year, to 268,190 tons, according to government figures—despite the industry’s repeated calls for help to prevent such a decline. ...
Kang Sothear
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/rice-exports-drop-amid-calls-for-intervention-115179/
Official removed over land sale
The Ministry of Agriculture has removed Meas Sopheap, its chief of staff in Koh Kong province, over allegations he privately sold state land worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. ...
Pav Suy
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26951/official-removed-over-land-sale/
Palm oil yields up as crop matures
Export of crude palm oil from Mong Reththy Group, the Kingdom’s only active producer, doubled during the first half of the year despite prices showing no indication of improving, a company executive said yesterday. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/palm-oil-yields-crop-matures
Army worms beating a retreat
The plague of army worms that were eating crops in a dozen provinces last week is now under control, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has reported, with the soybean crops recording the most damage. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26482/armyworms-beating-a-retreat/
Armyworms wreak havoc on crops
More than 20 thousand hectares of farmland spread over 10 provinces have been affected by armyworms since last week, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/26340/armyworms--wreak-havoc-on-crops/
Gov’t signs off on Koh Rong protected habitat
The Cambodian government has signed off on the Kingdom’s first dedicated marine protection area in a bid to save the Koh Rong Archipelago’s coral reef and sea life. ...