Agriculture in Cambodia
In Cambodia 80% of the population lives on small rural holdings. The alluvial and sedimentary soil is very productive so food is plentiful. A wide variety of fruits and vegetables are grown on the small farms, and marketed in the many small markets that dot the country side. The produce is fresh and the quality is quite good.
Animal Agriculture
Animal agriculture is limited. However every household appears to have one of more Brahma cattle which are used for milk, meat and draught. We also saw some cattle that may have been Zebu and some water buffalo. Every rural household has free range chickens and even ducks. We saw few hogs and goats although we understand there are many in other parts of the country. The hogs we did see were on the way to market, tied up-side down, live, on the back of a moto (small motorcylce). No commercial livestock production seems to exist.
Rice – The Staple
Rice is the largest commercial crop grown. It is everywhere. There are two crops per year and the second crop is due for harvest in a few weeks for both domestic use and for export. The topography is very flat and prone to annual flooding favouring rice production. This year the flooding was severe, but now receding. With small holdings and lots of labour, there is little need for machinery. Some was observed but its use has to be limited wever, we did note a number of large garden tractors that seem to be used for hauling people and freight on the roads, but undoubtedly are used in the fields as well. We observed a number of mobile rice threshing machines and even the odd miniature research plot-sized combine., but on cateplillar type tracks.
Despite the bounty observed, the farmers don’t appear to benefit financially.
Interesting comment on Agriculture . Also despite the bounty , the farmers don’t appear to benefit finanically .
Elaine