Agriculture to see lending growth

Some commercial banks could increase loans to the agricultural sector this year, according to industry insiders who cited improvements in the sector and a rise in crop prices. Cambodian farmers lack the capital needed for inputs such as seeds and fertiliser, while domestic rice millers often can’t get credit to purchase large quantities of paddy, insiders said. Experts have long said the dearth of loan activity in Cambodian agriculture stymied the sector’s development toward an economy of scale. ACLEDA Bank, Cambodia’s largest domestically owned bank, would increase its loan portfolio in agriculture, which now represents about 16.5 per cent of its total lending, Executive Vice President So Phonnary said…

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