'The food crisis in the world offers an opportunity for Cambodian farmers although citizens complain about the soaring price of rice,' Hun Sen said

April 30, 2008
Cambodian farmers to benefit from global food crisis: PM
PHNOM PENH - CAMBODIAN Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday appealed to
the country's farmers to start growing rice and other crops, saying
most of the population would benefit from the global food crisis.
'The food crisis in the world, instead, offers an opportunity for
Cambodian farmers although citizens complain about the soaring price
of rice,' Hun Sen said during a ceremony some 50km north of Phnom
Penh.

'But in return, some 80 per cent (of the population) who are farmers
benefit from this. Now the opportunity for our Cambodian farmers has
arrived,' he said.

Mr Sen said rain had fallen over most of the country and appealed to
farmers to rush to grow a variety of food crops, including rice.

'Now the rainy season has started,' he said. 'Now the world has a big
crisis, so please, our farmers start growing the crops, including
rice, corn and beans. All the crops have a market now,' the premier
said.

Mr Sen banned rice exports in late March in a bid to halt soaring
prices for the staple food.

The price of the most commonly purchased grade of rice has hit US$0.90
(S$1.22) a kilogramme, up from US$0.50 to US$0.60 two months ago,
deepening the poverty of the one-third of the population living on
less than US$0.50 a day.

Mr Sen said on Wednesday, however, that the government was considering
exporting rice to find markets for Cambodian farmers and to 'fulfil
our international obligation in helping other countries...to reduce
the difficulty in the world'.

'Cambodia is a small country, but it can help hundreds of thousands of
families if we can export the rice,' Mr Sen said.

Officials have said that Cambodia has enough rice with more than two
million tonnes stockpiled. -- AFP

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