Agriculture and fishing
Hydropower in the Mekong: an alternative approach
Laos needs to rethink its aggressive hydropower plans as new markets and technologies create an opportunity to change course. A report published in September by the Stimson Center, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, challenges prevailing notions about the future of hydropower in the Mekong subregion, an ...
Rice exports tipped to beat state target
Rice shipments out of Thailand are expected to fare better than the government’s target of 10 million tonnes because of price competitiveness and recovering exports of hom mali fragrant rice, shippers say. Even so, that amount would be insufficient to retake the title of world’s ...
Carrying a stranger’s child through an uncertain time
Ly Raksmey left her home in the heart of the country’s rice bowl in January and headed to a hospital on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. The 34-year-old stayed there several nights, in a facility that was better and cleaner than any hospital she had ...
EU ‘Green card’ for Thailand expected over IUU fishing
Thailand will at some point receive a “green card” from the European Union for its efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, once the EU realises the real progress the government is making in this regard, according to Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental ...
Fresh push for contract farming
Frustrated with the failure of a $27 million emergency loan package to help rice farmers find a fair market price for their crop and stem the tide of smuggled paddy across the borders, Agriculture Minister Veng Sokhon is flogging a new model for the nation’s ...
Nay Pyi Taw’s fresh produce market to reopen in January
Residents of the nation’s capital should have their fresh produce stalls back by the end of January when upgrades for Tha Pyay Gone Market are expected to wrap up, according to the Nay Pyi Taw City Development Committee. The project, which has been under way for ...
Prospect for a budding industry
With Cambodia’s traditional cash crops struggling to compete in global supply chains, the Kingdom could carve out a lucrative niche in commercial cannabis harvesting and exports – provided it acts fast to take advantage of the falling legal barriers, a Cambodia-based American innovator has argued. ...
Vietnam proposes transboundary water-resources management policy
While cross-border management of water resources is a necessary long-term strategy, the question is how to do it, experts say. At the November 20 session of the 24th APEC Summit, a high-ranking leader suggested developing agriculture in a sustainable manner in tandem with the effective use ...
A water war in Asia cannot be ruled out
Asia can build a harmonious, rules-based water management system. But it needs China to get on board. Tensions over water are rising in Asia—and not only because of conflicting maritime claims. While territorial disputes, such as in the South China Sea, attract the most attention—after ...
Government optimistic on exports
The government remains positive that exports will stay flat or eke out marginal growth this year despite an unexpected drop in October after two months of gains. The Commerce Ministry on November 28 said exports fell by 4.2% year-on-year in October to UScopy7.78 billion after growth ...