Hun Sen (L) and Vietnam's PM Nguyen Tan Dung (R). Hun Sen's lifting of rice export ban to Vietnam may increase the price of this staple again, and affect the the livelihood of Cambodian people.By Ros Sothea, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
10 April 2008
Economists and agricultural experts are worried that Cambodia will face rising rice prices once again, following government exceptions to an export ban.
The government put a rice export ban in place in late March following a price hike in milled rice, but it recently lifted the ban for certain farmers on the Vietnamese border.
Complaints over high prices have settled in the weeks since the ban, but economists warn the prices are likely to climb again, as neighboring countries experience a shortage of the staple.
The government meanwhile has injected $10 million in loans to rice exporters, but experts worry this won't be enough.
Hoping to prevent a crisis, the government recently provided $10 million in loans to rice milling groups and the government-owned Green Trade Company, to buy rice in the three provinces of Takeo, Prey Veng and Kandal.
Freelance economist Sok Sina told VOA Khmer that to buy rice from people was a good measure from the government to stabilize the rice price, but he warned the prices will increase again if the government runs out of money for subsidies.
"The rice will not come down. So what we are worried about is how much money the government has to make such subsidies, because it really needs a lot of money," Sok Sina said.
Sun Kunthu, president of Cambodia Rural Development Bank, which is under the government, said that the $10 million in loans will be paid back within six months, keeping the rice price steady.
The stimulus loans overlap with an April 7 directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen to allow farmers in Takeo, Prey Veng and Kandal to export rice to Vietnam, which is facing a shortage for export.
Ministry of Commerce officials said the measure was necessary, as farmers in those provinces were facing moisture in the rice due to recent rains.
An official from a rice milling association in Takeo said that since the government lifted the ban, between 20 and 30 boats came from Vietnam each day, carrying away 5 tons to 10 tons of rice per boat.
"If we open the border to export rice to Vietnam, the rice price will increase," he warned.
The government put a rice export ban in place in late March following a price hike in milled rice, but it recently lifted the ban for certain farmers on the Vietnamese border.
Complaints over high prices have settled in the weeks since the ban, but economists warn the prices are likely to climb again, as neighboring countries experience a shortage of the staple.
The government meanwhile has injected $10 million in loans to rice exporters, but experts worry this won't be enough.
Hoping to prevent a crisis, the government recently provided $10 million in loans to rice milling groups and the government-owned Green Trade Company, to buy rice in the three provinces of Takeo, Prey Veng and Kandal.
Freelance economist Sok Sina told VOA Khmer that to buy rice from people was a good measure from the government to stabilize the rice price, but he warned the prices will increase again if the government runs out of money for subsidies.
"The rice will not come down. So what we are worried about is how much money the government has to make such subsidies, because it really needs a lot of money," Sok Sina said.
Sun Kunthu, president of Cambodia Rural Development Bank, which is under the government, said that the $10 million in loans will be paid back within six months, keeping the rice price steady.
The stimulus loans overlap with an April 7 directive from Prime Minister Hun Sen to allow farmers in Takeo, Prey Veng and Kandal to export rice to Vietnam, which is facing a shortage for export.
Ministry of Commerce officials said the measure was necessary, as farmers in those provinces were facing moisture in the rice due to recent rains.
An official from a rice milling association in Takeo said that since the government lifted the ban, between 20 and 30 boats came from Vietnam each day, carrying away 5 tons to 10 tons of rice per boat.
"If we open the border to export rice to Vietnam, the rice price will increase," he warned.
12 comments:
Oh zip it, it was Vietnamese rice anyway. What choice do we have?
4.39am
fuck it man, fuck youns.
youns must be crashed down
vietnames rice? youn rice? the fuck you're saying here?
Chan,
Oh zip it, it was Khmer's rice and Khmerland that Vietnam infested upon anyway. What choice do we have?
Khmer government is Neanderthal, nobody in the current office has any ethical principles. They are just an invertabrae, a leech.
How can ah Chan Sarun tell to quit eating "Frogs"? What he should do now is to HALT any illegal activity of logging concession! They needed to REFOREST the land to bring back the Birds to control the insects population. Frogs aren't the only factor of infestations. We HAVE THE CPPs THAT ARE INFESTED/POLLUTED MINDS IN OFFICES NOW!
BLAMING THE PEOPLE FOR LOW CROPS YIELD, HOW IGNORANT IS A DIRECTOR!
PEOPLE OF CAMBODIA, I CALL ON YOU TO BE LIKE THE HATIANS. YOUR GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO SELL/EXPORT YOUR RICE TO VIETNAM. STOP THEM!
you give a heartful inspiration now.
soon you'll see that no one youn is ever daring to stay in srok khmer. I guarantee it myself.
just look at the monkey-smiling face of a cocky puppet trying to please his master.
I am serious, guys. Our crops was destroyed many times by the floods and drought. It was yuon who gave us tons and tons of crop to bail us out. Get it?
I am serious, guys. Our crops was destroyed many times by the floods and drought. But, ah HunSen pulled out the Reserved and shipped it to ah Youns! It was Khmers that save Youns from starvation; Youns received tons and tons of crop to bail Youns out. Get it?
I hate Yuons, they are the only filth of a race that I've ever hated and will ever hate dol 'ch'ung in my lifetime, no one else comes close.
Have a protest for Yuons to get out of Srok Khmer, whoever cracks down on the protest (mostly CPP and police forces) mow them down with concealed automatic rifles. When the police force is scared shitless then we can concentrate on getting Hun Sen and his family to be beheaded in public.
Hey you Viet troller/pimp/parasite/plunderer @4:39 AM,
You Viet troller/intruder admitted yourself here on KI-Media to being a Viet-born and national.
You Viet troller/intruder have been dumping tons of trashes here on KI-Media over God knows for how long.
You Viet troller/intruder pretend to be Cambodian/Khmer speaking up for Cambodian/Khmer and giving Cambodian/Khmer a bad name.
You Viet troller/intruder trash everybody here on KI-Media calling Cambodian/Khmer all sort of names to boast, to sabotage and to destroy Cambodian/Khmer for the benefit of you Viet intruder/plunderer....
Now, you Viet trash/troller/intruder/parasite call that a debate?
Does history and now a live example of you Viet trash/troller here on KI-Media tell Cambodian/Khmer anything about the Viet's trustworthiness?
Cambodian/Khmer and the whole world see and know the true colors of you Viet troller/intruder/invader/plunderer/parasite too well already.
In plain and simple English, now, and again what part of you "getting the fuck out of KI-Media" don't you understand huh you fucking Viet troller/intruder/pimp/plunderer?
Let's see you Viet pimp/parasite's tail between your legs and run on home out of KI-Media now!
Go home Viet, go home!
You will hurt the Viet and not hurting us Cambodian/Khmer by hanging around here on KI-Media and having made such a comment.
Go home Viet, go home!
The world sees and knows you Viet true colors already!!!
sometime it is hard to control in rural, porous border areas, so perhaps gov't should send in officials to oversee such illegal activity if get out of hand. sometimes people will behave better when they see a police or other officials in the area.
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