THE United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation is supporting the Cambodian government in motivating private companies to produce rice seed.

FAO official Tim K Ekin told a seminar on agro-business, held at the Phnom Penh Hotel this week, that a program to study rice seed production in Cambodia will begin early next year, with the aim of boosting domestic seed production.

It is hoped the project, funded by the European Union, will help private firms to provide “pure” rice seed, rather than hybrid types.

According to Ekin, the move would enable farmers to increase yields by approximately 15 percent.

He said: “We are calling for private companies to get involved in pure rice seed production. If there is no involvement from the private sector, Cambodia will face difficulties when increasing production.”

Srun Sokhom, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, said further sector engagement would be good for farmers.

But Mong Reththy, Chairman of Mong Reththy Group, a large agricultural company, said that producing pure rice seed was not easy.

He warned that such projects required participation from technicians.