Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Cambodian corn production saw slow development in 2018

Cambodian corn production saw slow development in 2018

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The price of corn was about 400 riel per kg in 2017, causing many farmers to complain about losses. Heng Chivoan

Cambodian corn production saw slow development in 2018

Cambodian corn production saw slow development last year with crop yields increasing a mere two per cent on 2017 to 715,000 tonnes, remaining far short of Cambodia’s peak in 2012 when production reached nearly one million tonnes.

According to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures – endorsed by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon – Cambodian corn production amounted to 715,000 tonnes last year, up from 700,000 tonnes in 2017.

However, the USDA data highlighted a big gap compared to Cambodia’s peak in 2012 when corn production amounted to 951,000 tonnes, the highest since records began in 1960.

Sakhon said on Sunday that the Kingdom’s corn production is slowed by the fact that the crop is still grown on smaller scale family farms, while market prices fluctuate annually due to a lack of modernisation of growing and drying methods.

While corn is used mainly for feed-processing production, the minister said the old drying method of corn used by farmers cannot adequately respond to market demand.

“We hope that in the future our government will be able to subsidise [corn] to help farmers and agricultural communities to solve the issue of warehouses and drying silos so that demand can be stabilised and the price increased,” he said.

According to Sakhon, the price of corn last year ranged from 900 riel to 1,100 riel ($0.22 to $0.27) per kg for dry corn.

He added that corn is grown in the provinces along the Kingdom’s rivers – including Kampong Cham, Tbong Khmum, Pailin and Battambang provinces – and is used mainly for exports, with only a tiny fraction consumed locally, especially in feed production.

Asked why the ministry doesn’t have its own record of Cambodian corn production, the minister said informal exports and production have impeded officials efforts and resources to compile such a record. He added that while the USDA data does not 100 per cent reflect production, it remains a reliable benchmark.

Tim Lang – a corn farmer in Sampov Loun district’s Ta Sda village in Battambang Province who grew 10ha of corn, harvesting 60 tonnes, last year – said on Sunday that unpredictable market demand is a major problem for him to expand his cultivation area.

Lang said profit from corn production was good in the 2018 harvest season as he could sell wet corn at 650 riel per kg. But, he said, the price of corn was low in 2017 – only about 400 riel per kg – with many farmers complaining about losses.

According to Lang, if the price of corn can stabilise at above 600 riel per kg, farmers will profit and it will encourage them to increase production from year to year.

“There was a big demand for corn in the 2018 harvest season and we could not have a yield as big as the demand."

“We still don’t know yet if we will expand our corn production this year even if the price improves. I will wait a bit more and see if there will be more rain,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • PM declares ASEAN Para Games open

    The 12th ASEAN Para Games officially kicked off on the evening of June 3 at Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh, with a spectacular opening ceremony featuring fireworks and performances by some of the Kingdom’s most accomplished talents. Tens of thousands of sports fans

  • Honda shutters Siem Reap football club

    Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda, the owner of Siem Reap football club Soltilo Angkor FC, has been forced to shut the club down, after it failed to attract sponsorship for the upcoming season. Honda, the former manager of the Cambodia men's national football team, said

  • Waterway job still pending for Kampot tourism port’s opening

    The search is still on for a contractor to expand and deepen the Kampot International Tourism Port’s waterway and deliver additional enhancements allowing safe access for larger vessels, nearly a year after the main construction work on the 4.25ha site was completed on June 30, 2022.