Tum Niro, director of the Stung Treng provincial agriculture department, addresses the press conference on April 24. Heng Chivoan
According to the Stung Treng provincial authorities, in the past five years, the province has earned between $700 million and $800 million from agricultural products. The majority of Stung Treng’s population relies on plantations, agro-industrial crops, and fishing for their livelihoods.
This data was presented at an April 24 press conference to outline the provincial administration’s achievements over the past five years.
Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries director Tum Niro told the assembled media that four rivers run through the province, the Mekong, the Sekong, the Sesan and the Sre Pok.
“They make a huge contribution to the province’s fisheries resources. Stung Treng also has a total cultivated area of more than 110,000ha, including 27,800ha of paddy rice, 44,527ha of cashew, 13,441ha of rubber, 25,067ha of cassava, 3,980ha of mangoes and more than 400ha of supplementary crops,” he said.
“Agriculture in Stung Treng has grown steadily at 6 or 7 per cent per year. Agriculture contributes about 67 to 69 per cent of the province’s gross domestic product (GDP),” he explained.
“From 2018 to 2022, the province averaged about 95,000 tonnes of agricultural products – worth more than $100 million per year – in addition to the fisheries and livestock sectors. Over a five year period, Stung Treng contributed between $700 and $800 million to the national economy, no small feat for a province without any heavy industry,” he concluded.
Provincial governor Svay Sam Eang said that the province’s GDP per capita increased from $1,423 in 2018 to $1,585 in 2023, with a correlating reduction in the poverty rate, from 23 per cent to 21 per cent.
He explained that the administration was focused on attracting investment to expand agro-industry and agricultural production, as these remained the basis of Stung Treng’s economy.
“We will promote investment and examine the feasibility of the implementation of policies that will help stabilise agricultural prices for local farmers,” he said.
According to a report tabled by the administration, the province’s annual yield of paddy rice is about 73,000 tonnes. Horticultural crops reached around 45,000 tonnes, while industrial crops – such as cassava, peanuts, soybeans, sugarcane and sesame – hit about 5,000 tonnes. Close to 25,000 tonnes of cashew nuts were also harvested.
In addition, animal production increased to more than 900,000 head of cattle and pigs, while freshwater fisheries and aquatic products totalled about 4,000 tonnes per year.
