Ministries and other national bodies
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
New MoU to study japonica rice variety
In a bid to expand the markets abroad for Cambodian rice, the Ministry of Agriculture has reached an agreement with two Chinese firms to cooperate in conducting research on the high-yielding rice variety known as oryza sativa japonica. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50103456/new-mou-to-study-japonica-rice-variety/
Invasive fruit flies detrimental to Kingdom’s mango exports
Cambodia’s mango shipments have been routinely blocked before making it to the international market, with the Ministry of Agriculture claiming the mangoes are not of a high enough quality to meet the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements necessary to ship outside of the Kingdom. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/invasive-fruit-flies-detrimental-kingdoms-mango-exports
MoU to boost cashew output to 1 million tonnes
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Vietnam Cashew Association this week signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to bolster the production of cashews nuts in Cambodia to reach 1 million tonnes a year. The MoU was signed by Minister of ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50103113/mou-to-boost-cashew-output-to-1-million-tonnes/
Rubber exports jump as smugglers siphon off profits
The total amount of rubber exported by Cambodia surged 30 percent last year, but widespread rubber smuggling on the Vietnamese border crippled potential profits from the booming industry. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/rubber-exports-jump-smugglers-siphon-profits
Villagers say military official who took their land now wants $20K
A military lieutenant who sued 13 families in Oddar Meanchey’s Anlong Veng district for allegedly grabbing his land is now demanding $20,000 in compensation, though villagers deny the accusation and it remains unclear as to how the official initially came to own the ostensibly protected ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/villagers-say-military-official-who-took-their-land-now-wants-20k
New centre for agricultural research to help expand markets
China-based Digital Agriculture Exchange has revealed plans to build an agricultural research centre in the kingdom to improve production and packaging standards of local fruit and vegetables. Officially dubbed a “multifunctional centre”, its aim is to up quality standards to make Cambodian produce more desirable abroad, ...
Chea Vannak
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50102796/new-centre-for-agricultural-research-to-help-expand-markets/
Bird flu found in Phnom Penh
Nearly 300 chickens and ducks were culled after a new case of H5N1, or bird flu, was found in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district last week, officials said. Seang Borin, director of the municipal agriculture department, said yesterday that 292 chickens and ducks were killed in ...
Mom Kunthear
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50102046/bird-flu-found-in-phnom-penh/
Partnership with US university for better cassava
Agriculture Minister Veng Sakhon met on Monday with visiting US professors W. Ronnie Coffman and Max J. Pfeffer from Cornell University to discuss cooperation in a new project whose purpose is to yield disease-resilient, high yielding cassava. ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50101289/partnership-us-university-better-cassava/
QR code stickers to build consumer trust
The Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to launch a QR code sticker scheme that will allow authorities and consumers to check the origin of vegetables and other agricultural products and see whether or not producers follow good agricultural practice (GAP). ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50100404/qr-code-stickers-build-consumer-trust/
Kampot governor out after a mere 1.5 years
Kampot is due to have a new governor after just over a year and a half under current Governor Chan Chesda, according to a royal decree signed on Tuesday. The decree appoints Cheav Tay as the new governor, and indicates Chesda is to transfer to ...
Kong Meta
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kampot-governor-out-after-mere-15-years
Task force confiscates Kratie logs; no arrests
A joint task force of national Military Police, provincial Military Police and Forestry Administration officials confiscated a large amount of illegal timber in Kratie province’s Sambor district earlier this week, but made no arrests. ...
Mech Dara
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/task-force-confiscates-kratie-logs-no-arrests
Agriculture Ministry to request lower electricity costs for farmers
Agriculture Minister Veng Sokhon said he would ask Prime Minister Hun Sen to take action to help farmers compete against neighbouring countries, including further measures to address high electricity costs, as the sector mapped out its challenges for the year at a ministry-led forum in ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/agriculture-ministry-request-lower-electricity-costs-farmers
Fishermen see fruitful prahok season, almost doubling last year’s catch
Fishermen on the Tonle Sap river are smelling success: The season’s first harvest of the fish now being crushed into the famously pungent prahok has hauled in a bounty set to almost double last year’s catch. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/fishermen-seeing-fruitful-prahok-season-almost-doubling-last-years-catch
China order lifts rice imports for 2017
Cambodian rice exports in 2017 increased 17 percent by volume compared to the year before, with exporters pushing to fill orders under China’s expanded import quota while shipments to European markets remained steady, according to Agriculture Ministry figures. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/china-order-lifts-rice-imports-2017
Farming project gets extension, $66M
The government and international funders have committed a further $66 million to a project to increase small farmers’ productivity, after yesterday claiming success in the program’s initial seven-year period. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/farming-project-gets-extension-66m
Oddar Meanchey carbon scheme used by Virgin ‘does not work’
Claims the military is involved in systematically clearing forest in Oddar Meanchey province in an area meant to be protected by a carbon credit scheme involving Virgin Atlantic have prompted the UK-based airline to launch an investigation into the program. ...
Yesenia Amaro
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/oddar-meanchey-carbon-scheme-used-virgin-does-not-work
Agriculture Ministry to ink $50 million mango pact
The Agriculture Ministry is set to sign a mango export investment deal with a Chinese firm worth up to $50 million, the second such deal in the country, Agriculture Minister Veng Sokhon said yesterday. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/agriculture-ministry-ink-50-million-mango-pact
Cambodia’s fisheries at risk due to hydropower development on Mekong, MRC warns
Hydropower development will likely deal a serious economic blow to Cambodia, with dire outlooks for its fisheries and rice outputs predicted even under best-case scenarios, according to key findings from the Mekong River Commission (MRC). ...
Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/cambodias-fisheries-risk-due-hydropower-development-mekong-mrc-warns
EU firm sets plan for local rubber factory
Socfin Cambodia, the local branch of a Europe-based international rubber producing company that currently operates a 7,500-hectare rubber plantation in Mondulkiri, has announced plans to open the doors to its first rubber factory next April, with an initial investment of $5.7 million, a company executive ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/eu-firm-sets-plan-local-rubber-factory
Government fails to recoup on rubber expenses
Despite a 31 percent increase in Cambodian rubber exports during the first 11 months of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture is failing to recoup on expenses it has spent sending expert technicians into the field in order to help boost production. ...
Cheng Sokhorng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/government-fails-recoup-rubber-expenses
Meat producers told to shape up
The government will not consider further reductions of import quotas for live pigs, nor will it ban imports of the livestock, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) recently said, adding that companies in the meat industry should rethink their ...
Sok Chan
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5094594/meat-producers-told-shape/
Illegal imports hogging local market for pigs, say farmers
Cambodian pig farmers are facing a mounting crisis as the price of pigs has continued to plummet, with many blaming local officials for allowing Vietnam to illegally import pigs across the border, representatives from a farmers association said at a press conference yesterday. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/illegal-imports-hogging-local-market-pigs-say-farmers
Vietnam to scoop up more Cambodian cashews
Vietnam, a major buyer of the Cambodian cashew nut, has unveiled a plan to purchase cashews in even greater volumes during next year’s harvest season, giving hope to farmers who rely on selling their crops at good prices from February through May. ...
Hor Kimsay
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/vietnam-scoop-more-cambodian-cashews
Oknha accused of logging in protected forest
The environment minister has promised to investigate allegations that a tycoon-owned company is using a land concession to illegally log wood in a protected area in Preah Vihear province. ...
Phak Seangly
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/oknha-accused-logging-protected-forest