Cambodia is playing a significant role in balancing global food security. Despite the ongoing impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the Kingdom continues to export milled rice and other produce, contributing to global food security.

The uncertainty of the effects of the pandemic, ongoing conflicts and the risk of future ones has prompted many nations to prioritise their own food security above exports.

In contrast to Cambodia’s generous export policy, in 2023 for example, India announced the suspension of milled rice and cereal exports.

The Kingdom not only produces enough milled rice to meet its domestic needs, but exports its surplus to international markets.

Export capacity expanding

“The Cambodian agricultural sector has continued to maintain a strong balance of trade, and has made an important contribution to relieving economic tension,” said Prime Minister Hun Manet, as he presided over the annual meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, held on January 30 to review its work of 2023 and set goals for 2024.

“The agriculture sector has not only guaranteed our food security, but has alleviated inflationary pressure on the cost of living. This is in spite of the global effects of the pandemic and complex geopolitical issues, all of which have an increasing influence on the Cambodian socio-economic situation,” he added. 

He noted that while some nations have been forced to limit food exports when faced with climate challenges, extreme weather events and food security concerns, the Kingdom’s agriculture sector achieved strong results in 2023.

The Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF) – the Kingdom’s apex rice industry body – announced that in January of 2024, the country exported 46,000 tonnes of milled rice, worth $32.62 million, and 600,000 tonnes of unmilled rice, worth $ 184 million, to over 40 destinations. 

That month, it shipped 25,005 tonnes of milled rice to 22 EU members, 11,999 tonnes to five ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste, and 4,046 tonnes to 13 others in Africa and the Middle East, as well as North America and Australasia.

Over the course of 2023, the Kingdom exported 656,323 tonnes of milled rice worth about $466 million, an increase of 3% and 13%, respectively, over the previous year. In addition, it exported over 8.82 million tonnes of other agricultural products, worth about $4.8 billion, to 78 destinations, as per the CRF.

Optimism from the field

CRF president Chan Sokheang expressed optimism, as despite rising transport costs due to conflict in the Middle East, milled rice exports have continued to grow in 2024. He said he is also preparing a policy that will see unmilled rice stockpiled, as storage capacity is increasing.

Increasing prices are an encouraging incentive for the Kingdom’s farmers, he added.

Moul Sophort, a 57-year-old farmer from Dounba village and commune in Battambang province’s Kors Kralor district, told The Post that he was elated by current rice prices.

“I’m so pleased because this year’s rice price is high. Market demand is also high, with many customers. It’s very easy to sell,” he said.

He added that this year, he had sold his rainy-season rice for 1,320 riel per kilogramme, while last year, he had sold it for just 920 to 950 riel per kg. He would continue to grow rice on his 15ha of land, in the hope that next season’s prices are as high as the last.

Yok Sat, a 56-year-old farmer from Dar village and commune in Kratie province’s Chitr Borei district, echoed his Battambang counterpart’s sentiments, adding that in addition to rice, he has also planted cassava.

“I was very happy with the markets that were available for rice and cassava. I have planted over 10ha of cassava, and have already harvested my rainy-season rice crop,” he said.

Priority programmes

The government launched the fifth and sixth of its Pentagonal Strategy’s six key priority programmes on November 20 last year. The two programmes focus on the agricultural sector. Through them, the government intends to promote products, find markets and stabilise prices. They will do this through finance packages, the deployment of specialist agricultural officials to farming communes across the country and the formation of modern farming communities.

The prime minister explained that the programmes aim to strengthen and unlock Cambodia’s agricultural potential, to encourage farmers to increase production and guarantee them markets.

“Whatever they grow, it is crucial that they have markets and decent incomes. That’s our main goal,” he said.

Agriculture minister Dith Tina said the first priority policy is to provide financing to develop production value chains, help them find markets and ensure stable prices. He believes the specialist agricultural officials will support these aims.

“For the first phase of the programme, we will deploy an initial group of 250. Later this year, another batch of 800 will be posted. In 2025, an additional 550 will be deployed, giving us a total of 1,600. They will offer technical support to farmers in over 1,500 communes throughout the country,” he added. 

Climate change 

Farmer Sophort said late rains during last year’s rainy season had reduced his yield.

“In previous years, I was able to harvest between 2.5 and 3 tonnes of rice per hectare. This time around, I was barely able to harvest two tonnes per hectare because of a lack of rain. There was no rain until September or October, as opposed to August the previous years,” he explained.

He added that in his district, farmers can only grow rainy-season rice, as they depend on rainfall to provide the necessary irrigation.

Manet said that in 2023, over 20,000 farming households in Phnom Penh and 15 provinces were affected by flooding. Over 2,000 tonnes of rice seed from the government’s reserves was distributed to these families, so they could replant their crops and earn an income.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, along with the agriculture ministry and several provincial administrations are currently working to resolve water shortages which are currently affecting over 20,000ha of rice fields.

Manet noted that during the 2023-24 dry-season growing period, the government had planned for farmers to grow about 500,000ha of rice, but as of February 14, they had produced almost 800,000ha. Several farmers have already harvested their crops.

“The water resources ministry and the relevant authorities are currently working to implement irrigation measures that will support the remaining crops,” he said.

Essential partnerships

Various development partners are providing support to the challenges of climate change.

A recent vow by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to increase climate financing assistance to developing countries in Asia and the Pacific drew plaudits from the Cambodian government.

A January 31 ADB press release outlined the progress of its commitment to the fight against climate change, especially through supporting the efforts of developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of global warming.

In 2023, the ADB provided more climate funding than in previous years, with $9.8 billion of direct resources. Of that, $5.5 billion was used for impact mitigation work and $4.3 billion for adaptation work, an increase of more than 56% over 2022.

ADB president Masatsugu Asakawa explained the bank’s position.

“Climate change threatens the future of all development. 2023 was the hottest year on record and has seen major and severe weather effects in our region. This crisis threatens energy and food security and also poses a challenge to economic growth,” he said in a statement.

“The ADB has the clear goal of helping developing nations eliminate the use of fossil fuels in economic mechanisms, achieve progress along the path of climate interaction, in particular achieving a balance of greenhouse gas emissions from their respective countries. These grants are important for countries in Asia and the Pacific that are experiencing extreme heat, drought and heavy rains,” he added.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) also worked with the government to heighten international best practices and global innovative standards, supporting skills and expertise at the national, regional and international level for five years, from 2019-23.

It did so in three ways. First, through enhanced productivity, diversification and commercialisation, with safe and nutrition-sensitive food systems that will reduce poverty and improve food security. 

It also promoted the equitable and sustainable management of natural resources, and an increased capacity to monitor and report on climate action.

Finally, it aimed to reduce vulnerability and improve resilience to climate change shocks at the national, community and household levels.

FAO director-general Qu Dongyu explained the UN agency’s position in a February 13 opinion piece in The Post. 

He said the first FAO Asia-Pacific regional priority is to make the region’s agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable, while creating healthier, affordable diets for the public.

“We are supporting countries to bolster climate-adaptation and resilience, low-carbon agriculture, modernise seed systems, implement integrated farming management, control trans-boundary pests and diseases, disseminate good agriculture practices [GAP] and transfer technologies to smallholders and family farmers,” he said.