Drought Affecting 145,000 Hectares of Paddy
A lack of rain across the country is affecting more than 145,000 hectares of rice paddy and parts of the nation’s crop have already been completely destroyed, according to data released yesterday by the Ministry of Agriculture. Hem Sophal, director of the statistics department at the ministry, said that of the 1.92 million hectares of land currently being used to cultivate rice, 135,464 hectares have been damaged by drought, while about 10,000 hectares have been destroyed. … Of the drought-affected areas, Battambang, Kompong Chhnang, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Pursat and Takeo provinces are the worst affected, according to Mr. Sophal. …
