Phnom Penh Friday, 22 April 2011
“Before, if I had 5,000 riel [$1.25], I could buy enough food for one meal,” she said. “Now if I have 5,000 riel, I can’t.”
Rising prices for food and other necessities have cut into the daily lives of many poor Cambodians, even though some farmers say there are benefitting. Prices for beef, pork, fish and vegetables have continued to climb, pinching budgets of many who have seen little adjustment to their earnings.
Peter Brimble, a senior economist for the Asian Development Bank in Cambodia, said that rising food prices are a threat to Cambodia’s goals for poverty reduction, with the poorest spending large percentages of their incomes on food.
However, he said, Cambodia remains a net food exporter, especially with rice, making it somewhat less vulnerable.
Still, a spike in prices has been felt by Cambodians of many walks of life.
Khan Touch, a 36-year-old garment factory worker, told VOA Khmer this week she earns about $90 a month, with overtime, but bills for rent, $35, and utilities, $15, leave little left for food.
“Before, if I had 5,000 riel [$1.25], I could buy enough food for one meal,” she said. “Now if I have 5,000 riel, I can’t.”
Primary school teacher Ma Lay, 48, said her monthly salary of $70 does little in the face of rising prices.
“I can’t buy quality rice to eat,” she said. A third of a kilogram of fish now costs what half a kilogram costs not long ago, she said. Pork prices have doubled.
“My salary has not increased,” she said. “But rising food prices continue.”
Along with food prices, fuel prices are a growing concern for tuk-tuk driver Ha Sa An, 36. Over the past six months, he said, his daily take home has dropped from $7.50 to $2.50.
“The government should think of this problem,” he said.
Minister of Economy Keat Chhon said recently that food prices have become a general concern worldwide. But the rising prices of rice, soybeans and other agricultural goods have been a boon to farmers, he said.
He said the high value of the Cambodian riel has offered a buffer for state and private workers in preventing even high costs.
Var Khan, a 62-year-old cassava farmer in Banteay Meanchey province, said the price of his produce has gone from $0.06 per kilogram to $0.10 per kilogram in the last five months.
“I can earn nearly $3,000 on one hectare of cassava plantation,” he said. “I am very happy for the high price of cassava.”
Chan Sophal, president of the Cambodian Economic Association, said high prices for cassava, corn, soybeans and rice have all helped farmers, even if it hurts consumers.
Farmers that can earn more from their goods are able to save money, expand their production and look for more markets, either locally or for export, he said.
2 comments:
Var Kim Hong does recognize that Cambodia, if compared to the colonial Service Geographique de l’Indochine scale map 1/100,000 and the 1985 delimitation treaty, will loses 9,000 hectares; and compared to U.S Army Mapping Service scale map 1/50,000 with the 1985 Treaty, would lose about 7,900 hectares to Vietnam. This statement was confirmed by Var Kim Hong to Mr. Touch Bora Esq through a telephone conversation on 30 August 2002 at 4:30 p.m. (Sydney time), which Mr. Touch Bora Esq wrote in his letter dated on 9 September 2002 sent to Sam Dach Ta Noroudom Sihanouk concerning over border affairs.
In fact, the loss is absolutely more than the 1000 square kilometers stated by MP Sam Rainsy in his statement, if we add the size of the historical water of 30000 square kilometers awarded to Vietnam under the 1982 Agreement which has been into affect and now already become under the full control of Vietnam. And this would not be the last if the equidistance principle be used to delimit the maritime boundary, Cambodia will lose an additional area of sea and seabed measuring at least 860 square nautical miles from the Brevie Line to the north, analyzed by Mr. Touch Bora Esq or another 10000 square kilometers confirmed by Mr. Sean Pengse, the President of the Cambodian Border Committee Worldwide, which exclusively include another Koh Poula Wai to Vietnam added to the previous lost islands- Koh Tral (Dao Phu Quoc) and Koh Poulo Panjang (Dao Thu Chu).
This is why sVar Kim Hong said in front of Students´s Movement for Democracy (SMD), and Sam Dach Ta Norodom Sihanouk on 22 Janaury 2000 during our audience with him concerning the border resolution with Vietnam that; “If we want peace, we must sacrifice our flesh to the tiger.” The truth is discovered now that, “Sacrifice the flesh to tiger actually means cutting our land to the Viet.” This word was clearly spoken out from his mouth and there were Sam Dach Ta as witness and 31 members.
We must condemn this Var Kim Hong for his role in helping the traitorous regime of Hun Sen.
Smart Khmer Girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
Koh Tral Island must not be forgotten
By Ms. Rattana Keo
Why do Koh Tral Island, known in Vietnam as Phu Quoc, a sea and land area covering proximately over 10,000 km2 [Note: the actual land size of Koh Tral itself is 574 square kilometres (222 sq miles)] have been lost to Vietnam by whose treaty? Why don’t Cambodia government be transparent and explain to Cambodia army at front line and the whole nation about this? Why don't they include this into education system? Why?
Cambodian armies are fighting at front line for 4.6 km2 on the Thai border and what's about over 10,000km2 of Cambodia to Vietnam. Nobody dare to talk about it! Why? Cambodian armies you are decide the fate of your nation, Cambodian army as well as Cambodian people must rethink about this again and again. Is it fair?
Koh Tral Island, the sea and land area of over 10,000 square kilometres have been lost to Vietnam by the 1979 to 1985 treaties. The Cambodian army at front line as well as all Cambodian people must rethink again about these issues. Are Cambodian army fighting to protect the Cambodia Nation or protecting a very small group that own big lands, big properties or only protecting a small group but disguising as protecting the Khmer nation?
The Cambodian army at front lines suffer under rain, wind, bullets, bombs, lack of foods, lack of nutrition and their families have no health care assistance, no securities after they died but a very small group eat well, sleep well, sleep in first class hotel with air conditioning system with message from young girls, have first class medical care from oversea medical treatments, they are billionaires, millionaires who sell out the country to be rich and make the Cambodian people suffer everyday.
Who signed the treaty 1979-1985 that resulted in the loss over 10,000 km2 of Cambodia??? Why they are not being transparent and brave enough to inform all Cambodians and Cambodian army at front line about these issues? Why don't they include Koh Tral (Koh Tral size is bigger than the whole Phom Phen and bigger than Singapore [Note: Singapore's present land size is 704 km2 (271.8 sq mi)]) with heap of great natural resources, in the Cambodian education system?
Look at Hun Sen's families, relatives and friends- they are billionaires, millionaires. Where did they get the money from when we all just got out of war with empty hands [in 1979]? Hun Sen always say in his speeches that Cambodia had just risen up from the ashes of war, just got up from Year Zero with empty hands and how come they are billionaires, millionaires but 90% of innocent Cambodian people are so poor and struggling with their livelihood every day?
Smart Khmer girl Ms. Rattana Keo,
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