THE Ministry of Agriculture Friday provided more than 50,000 hectares of land to eight companies – domestic and foreign – for agriculture, an official said.

Hong Narith, chief of cabinet at the ministry, told the Post Sunday that two Cambodian firms had been given 16,900 hectares. A Malaysian firm received 7,000 hectares, a South Korean firm 6,600 hectares and four organisations from Vietnam the remaining 20,900 hectares, he added. The concessions were for land in Mondulkiri, Ratanakkiri and Kratie provinces, said Hong Narith, although he was unable to give the names of the firms concerned.

“We expect these companies will … plant trees and raise animals to boost the economy in Cambodia and to provide work to people through the development of the agricultural sector,” he said, adding that if the proposals were not fulfilled then the licences would be withdrawn.

Yang Saing Koma, president of the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture, said the land could have been distributed differently.

“The government should be thinking about the population increasing and social land concessions to provide ... for cultivation in the future,” he said.