Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries secretary of state Yong Saing Koma said that contract rice farming, officially known as ‘Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)’, between rice mills and farmers’ collectives is crucial to ensuring the stability of rice price, its quality and quantity, and the livelihoods of farmers.
Saing Koma attended the signing of a SRP between Phum Yeung Rice Mill and seven members of the Cambodian Agricultural Cooperative Unions, held at Phum Yeung Rice Mill in Kampong Cham province’s Batheay district on April 21.
“This contract covers 4,500 tonnes of Rumduol and Sen Kra Ob 01 seeds. Seven collectives totalling 374 families, who are members of the Cambodian Agricultural Cooperative Unions, will join this SRP to produce food rice on 1,392ha of farmland,” he said.
Saing Koma urged both parties to cooperate and be honest with each other, in order to make the SRP successful, now and in the future.
“The success of this contract will drive rice production across the country. It will improve a rice production chain, through which farmers will find markets, mills will receive quality rice, and seed suppliers will find customers. This SRP will help the government to meet its goal of exporting 1 million tonnes of rice per year,” he said.
The agriculture ministry said that the SRP fell under phase I of the “Water Resource Management and Agro-Ecological Transition in Cambodia (WAT4CAM)” programme, which is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union in Cambodia.
