Agriculture and fishing
Agriculture
Vietnamese rubber giant makes deal with Cambodian villagers
A “major breakthrough” has been reached in discussions between Vietnamese rubber giant Hoang Anh Gia Lai and 11 indigenous communities in Ratanakkiri province that have lost land and resources to the company’s plantations. During a three-day meeting with community representatives, NGOs and its own subsidiaries, the ...
Festive period likely to boost rice prices
Rice prices are forecast to increase by as much as 10% late this year and early next year thanks to year-end festive celebrations and lower supply. Chookiat Ophaswongse, an honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said rice prices were likely to rise by 8-10% ...
Vietnam expels Chinese man for illegal mass earthworm hunting
Quang Tri border guards have deported a Chinese man who had asked locals to help him hunt earthworms using an illegal chemical and promised to buy the crawl for a high price. Gan DeQiang, 40, was also fined VND16 million (US$712) for his violations, according to ...
Sweet plans for future of Shan honey
Honey may soon join wine and coffee as among Shan State’s best-known local commodities, as production grows. Myanmar is set to export about 3500 tonnes of the sweet stuff this year, and experts say the “Made in Myanmar” honey label may soon spread. Rabbi Yossi Ives, chief ...
Rice exports: It’s time for the “giants” to leave
Rice exports seem to be the playground of big State-owned corporations, which are able to impose unfavorable conditions on others, especially farmers. The export floor price for rice is stipulated in Decree 109/2011/ND-CP, which is determined under the guidance of the Vietnam Food Association (VFA) based ...
Koreans, Kok An face off in land dispute
A tense stand-off between staff from a South Korean development firm and representatives of tycoon and ruling party Senator Kok An took place in northern Phnom Penh on 16 September, over what the Korean company says is an attempted land grab. More than 20 Korean and ...
Palm oil nut growers demand price support
Palm tree planters have again asked the government for price support to guarantee them an income equivalent to 3.38 baht a kilogramme for fresh palm nuts. Planters’ representatives gathered in the provincial hall on 15 September to make their latest demand after earlier attempts to get assistance from the ...
Outbreak turns consumers away from pork
Pork sales at local markets have taken a hit following the recent outbreak of blue-ear pig disease as fears have spread among consumers that the meat is not fit for human consumption, pork vendors said on 14 September. First identified in Siem Reap in mid-August, Porcine ...
Tiny wasps protect rice in the Mekong
Trichogramma are tiny beneficial wasps that feed on the eggs of several pests, including stemborers and leaffolders. To help rice farmers in the Greater Mekong Region, a project was launched in 2011 to promote the establishment of Trichogramma mass production facilities and affordable and practical ...
Floods wreak havoc with Rakhine
In the aftermath of the deadly flooding that devastated Rakhine State, one third of paddy acreage in the northern part of the state is littered with fallen trees and branches, dead animals and the detritus of wrecked houses. Deep deposits of mud dumped by the ...