The Cambodian government’s policy to boost productivity performance in the agricultural sector has improved the nation’s exports markedly, with shipments of fresh chilli flaring up 27.08 per cent from 55,513 tonnes in 2019 to 70,546 tonnes in 2020.
During this time last year, vegetable cultivation area in Battambang province – chilli and otherwise – had exceeded 1,000ha, eclipsing the target by over 150 per cent. The increase in arable land was due to the government’s policy to strengthen and spice up the potential of agricultural products, while ensuring that their prices would be more encouraging than in 2019. Still, Battambang’s chilli cultivation area is set to expand even further, in almost every district.
As of last year’s end, there were 96 agricultural communities on a contract farming basis with companies or other buyers. Battambang provincial Department of Commerce director Kim Hout said that while 2020 fresh chilli yields in the province did not increase much over 2019, exports across the border to Thailand were more than 32,000 tonnes.
Source: phnompenhpost.com
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