As of June 22, rainy season rice planting in this year appeared to be progressing more rapidly than in 2022, with farmers in Banteay Meanchey province growing 84.5 percent of the planned 260,00ha of rainy season rice, said the Ministry of Information.
Pang Vannaseth, director of the Banteay Meanchey provincial agriculture department, said that farmers in Mongkol Borei district had almost finished growing their rice, with most of the farmers opting to plant non-seasonal rice such as Sen Kro Ob and Sra Nge varities, or Somali, jasmine and rumduol rice.
He added that farmers in Svay Chek, Thma Puok and Malai districts have not received enough rain to grow their rice well, but scattered showers had allowed them to plant at a faster rate than last year.
However, he warned farmers to store water for irrigation purposes, as a brief dry spell has been forecast for early next month.
He also suggested that they should begin conserving water now, as the dry season may last longer than expected.
He recommended that all farmers follow the most up-to-date techniques, in order to keep yields high in spite of the effects of climate change. He also reminded them, to be wary of pests.
He noted that agricultural officials were prepared to step in and assist at any time, so farmers should report any problems they encountered as early as possible.
