Mondulkiri potato farming to grow

23 Jan 2019 2218 | Business & Trade Fairs

After three rounds of testing, agricultural experts have concluded that Mondulkiri’s highlands are suitable for the cultivation of potato.

Tests conducted over the last three years have shown that the soil in Mondulkiri meets the requirements for growing potatoes, said Song Kheang, director of Mondulkiri’s agricultural department.

“After three years of tests, we have concluded that Mondulkiri can produce high-yield, high-quality potatoes,” he said.

Tests revealed that the crop can yield 17 to 20 tonnes per hectare in the province, Mr Kheang said.

The results are particularly important given high demand for the crop in the country, especially in Phnom Penh, Mr Kheang said, who added that the crop now has to be imported to meet that demand.

Cambodia now imports more than 5,000 tonnes of potatoes every year from Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, Australia and the US, according to the Potato Research Institute, a centre in the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh