Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

Business

A farmer cuts down mango trees at a farm in Prek Sdey commune, Kandal province's Koh Thom district. Photo taken on February 20, 2022. An Vicheth

Farmers who replaced crops by trying to follow the market are falling into debt

With the price of export crops such as mango, longan, and pepper fluctuating wildly in recent years, farmers and plantation owners have been trying to follow the market — replacing poorly selling crops with more profitable ones. But sharp price fluctuations have left many in tens of thousands of dollars in debt, with farmers urging the government to do more to stabilize prices and keep farmers afloat.
A man collects fish from the Tonle Sap river in Kandal province to make prahok, December 14, 2021. CamboJA/ Pring Samrang

Prahok Season: Fish Numbers Are Down But So Are Prices

It’s Cambodia’s favorite fermented delicacy, adding a kick of umami to many a classic Khmer dish, but this year the number of fish caught in the Tonle Sap has declined, with some blaming the construction of large hydropower dams along the Mekong River, as well as climate change, for the dearth.