Increase in rice facilities boosts price of Kingdom’s paddy rice

As a result of more rice facilities constantly being installed, the price of paddy rice for the 2018-2019 season was between 900 riel and 1,300 riel ($0.22 and $0.32) per kg, an increase on the previous season, according to industry insiders.

Cambodia Rice Federation vice-president Vong Bun Heng noted that the price was a 25 per cent increase on the 2017-2018 season.

The price depends on the type of rice and its quality, with premium paddy rice sold at 1,300 riel per kg, with normal rice sold at 900 riel per kg, according to Bun Heng.

“The price is moving in the right direction now. We expect paddy rice [yields] in the next season will keep increasing,” he said, adding that the rising prices were due to an increase in rice facilities which are able to process more of farmer’s paddy rice.

The Kingdom’s main paddy rice collection season starts from the end of each year to the beginning of the following year.

In 2016, rice farmers in Battambang province, one of the Kingdom’s major rice producing regions, protested a drop in prices by blocking roads to demand government intervention.

Som Song, president of Agricultural Development Chamroeurn Phal – an agricultural cooperative consisting of 288 members on 2,225ha of rice fields in Sangke district’s Raing Kesei commune in Battambang province – said the price is an improvement on the past when farmers could only sell their paddy rice for between 500 riel and 600 riel per kg.

Provincial farmers this season are able to sell their rice for between 800 riel and 1,100 riel per kg.

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