Agricultural commodities, processing and products
Crop products and commodities
Palm sugar finds a sweet market niche
Demand for Kampong Speu palm sugar has surged, with orders already up 70 per cent this year, as appetite for the premium organic sugar product grows, boosting its price. Orders for 260 tonnes of the palm sugar have been placed this year, compared with 150 tonnes ...
Drought in Vietnam will become 'dangerous' in April: forecast
Drought and saltwater intrusion in Vietnam’s southern and central regions will persist through April, according to experts. Nguyen Dang Quang, a drought expert at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said at a Monday forum in Hanoi that the intense El Nino phenomenon from last year ...
Charoen Pokphand group stung by 'bald mountain' accusations
Embattled Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group will launch a social enterprise in Nan province to encourage farmers to grow cash crops other than maize, as a long-term solution to the problems created by deforestation, which has resulted in khao hua lone, or bald mountains. Suphachai Chearavanont, vice-chairman of ...
Koh Kong locals seek land’s return
Representatives of 526 Koh Kong families hopped on their motos on 25 March to deliver petitions to their district town halls calling for the return of land taken from them by a 2006 economic land concession (ELC), as well as compensation for lost crops. In 2006, a ...
Cashew prices reach highest in a decade
The local cashew industry has seen a spike in cashew prices, marking a 10 year record high, mostly due to increasing global prices. Keep reading ...
Kingdom's sugar exports to EU plummet
New figures show that Cambodia’s sugar exports to the European Union fell by 94.8 per cent between 2013 and 2015, amid accusations of rights abuses and land grabbing in the Kingdom’s industry. Keep reading ...
Rice body steps up to the plate
Responding to criticism, Cambodia’s apex rice industry body announced on 9 March that it would submit a plan to Prime Minister Hun Sen that addresses two of the major challenges facing the Kingdom’s rice sector – competition from rice imports and access to finance for millers. Keep ...
Revised rubber export tax scheme criticised
Rubber producers said on 6 March the Cambodian government’s decision to amend the export tax scheme on natural rubber fell short of expectations and would do little to stem the losses of farmers as rubber prices hover near a six-year low. Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a ...
Brazil challenges Thai sugar 'subsidies'
Brazil will challenge Thailand at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over “subsidies” for sugar producers that it says have dragged down global prices, the Trade Ministry said. Brazil said the Thai government had given support to cane growers and sugar mills that was inconsistent with international trade ...
Millers, exporters take on rice federation
A newly formed coalition of rice millers and exporters has raised alarm bells, forecasting the imminent “collapse” of Cambodia’s rice sector within two years and blaming in part “governance failure” by the industry’s apex body. The 18-member group, whose initiative is called the Rice Industry Strategic ...