Tuesday, 8.7.2008: Cambodia Includes Agricultural Mechanization into the Agricultural Production System of Farmers

The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 568

“Phnom Penh: Senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries said that nowadays, a relevant section of the agricultural sector of Cambodia is including agricultural mechanization for Cambodian farmers countrywide, to increase their production capacity, and to increase the quantity of agricultural production and its quality and to attract markets.

“A group of agricultural technical officials said that the inclusion of agricultural mechanization, such as the use of ploughing and harvesting machines, paddy seed transplanting machines, tractors, “hand held tractors” [for ploughing wet rice-fields before planting], threshing machines, paddy milling machines etc., into the planting, harvesting, and production and manufacturing system, is being accepted, and gladly preferred by farmers. The group of expert officials has tried to provide training, as well as tests for manufacturing and production officials, continually showing the use of agricultural machines in the agricultural production to farmers at the basis.

“According to statistics about agricultural machines and production tools in a report to a meeting to cover all work of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 2007-2008 and the goals for 2008-2009 for the Cambodian agriculture countrywide, there are approximately 4,475 tractors used, 34,639 “hand held tractors”, 131,702 water pumps, 395 harvesting machines, 8,036 threshing machines, and 38,680 paddy rice milling machines. This shows that more and more farmers understand mechanization and the importance of different uses of agricultural machines for their production in agriculture.

Farmers in the northeastern provinces of Cambodia said that they prefer to use agricultural machines, because they save more time than using traditional measures, such as ploughing by using cattle, or transporting by using ox-carts. Moreover, they do not have to care about food for their cattle, or to take care and to protect them from diseases, and after they have used the machines, they can do other tasks. In Cambodia, more and moe farmers prefer to use machines, since the government began reforms starting in 1987 by a widely open free market mechanism. Most farmers produce to feed their families, some places began agricultural production for trading, because agricultural mechanization and other agricultural techniques were spread by experts into the agricultural system. Until 1987, only the state used agricultural machines, and agricultural officials organized programs to plough farmers’ land every year at the beginning of the rice planting season.

“Agricultural mechanization, which is being promoted by experts in the Cambodian agricultural production system, will become an important measure to increase agricultural productivity, and production will be more efficient, both in terms of the quantity and quality of production, and it will lead to greater productivity of paddy rice for food and for export. Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1687, 8.7.2008

Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Tuesday, 8 July 2008

Chakraval, Vol.16, #2791, 8.7.2008

• Khmer Fishermen Complain about Difficulties to Do Fishing in the Khmer Sea, because They Loose to Siamese [Thai] Fishing Boats [which have modern fishing equipment, and they [the Thais] are allowed to do fishing in the Khmer sea by Khmer authorities who collude with them, receiving colossal money]

Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1687, 8.7.2008

• Cambodia Includes Agricultural Mechanization into the Agricultural Production System of Farmers
• The Korean Research Foundation for the 21st Century and INHA University Opened Training Courses about Information Technology [programming, website design, Internet] for Khmer Students [at the Royal University of Phnom Penh]
• Thai Military Supreme Commander [Boonsang Niempradit] Dismissed Rumors about a New Coup

Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1, #43, 8.7.2008

• Migration of Khmer Workers to Other Countries Might Affect Their Election Rights

Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6391, 8.7.2008

• Optimism of the Owner of the Temple: Official Decision [on the listing as a World Heritage Site] Depends on UNESCO, Not on a Thai Court
• Samdech Euv [Father King Norodom Sihanouk]: The Fear to Lose the Monarchy Has No Basis, because the King [Norodom Sihamoni] Is Excellent
• General Administrator of the National Bank Shows that the Cambodian Economy in 2008 Increases 9.5%
• OPEC President [Chakib Khelil]: Oil Price Will Continue to Rise [because of the falling value of the US dollar]

Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3506, 8.7.2008

• Hearing Results of [former Khmer Rouge leader, Ieng Sary’s wife] Ieng Thirith, about Her Appeal to Be Released from the Detention Center Temporarily, Will Be Made Public Tomorrow
• Mr. Um Sara, presenter of the Punleu Pleung Tean [“candle light”] Program [of the Sam Rainsy Party on Sambok Khmum Radio] Was Warned to Be Killed by Murderers

Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4635, 8.7.2008

• Thailand Is Likely to Fail to Stop the Listing of the Preah Vihear Temple; Thai Military Commander Asks Thai People to Be Calm over the Decision of UNESCO
• Just Society Party and Khmer Anti-Corruption Party Concluded an Agreement to Unite with One Another [7 June 2008]
• Vietnam Takes Strict Action against Illegal Fuel Export into Cambodia [by closing all gasoline stations near the Cambodian border – according to Việt Nam News]
• 28 People Died and 141 Were Injured by a Bomb Explosion at the Indian Embassy in Kabul [Afghanistan]

Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.15, #3353, 8.7.2008

• Most Luxury Cars with Labels of the Ruling Party, Used for the Election Campaign, Do Not Have Number Plates

Have a look at the last editorial – Without freedom of information AND an active use of this freedom, emotions can easily lead to dangerous misunderstandings.

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