Rubber to give economy a bounce
Cambodian officials say they will focus on nine different sectors in a bid to diversify and ensure continued national economic growth. Among the nine priorities, rubber will play a crucial role in Cambodia’s trade integration strategy. After opening a workshop on Cambodia’s trade strategy for the coming five years, Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh said the national trade strategy had previously focused primarily on the garment sector, but officials hoped to shift the focus to other sectors, as labour strife could deter potential investors. … Ly Phalla, director general of the general directorate of rubber plantations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said in early December of last year that at the end of October 2012, Cambodia had nearly 260,000 hectares of rubber plantations. State-owned plantations cover over 51,600 hectares, or 20 per cent of the total, while land concessions covered over 98,300 hectares, or 38 per cent. …
