Flooding in Banteay Meanchey and Preah Vihear provinces, that had inundated thousands of hectares of rice paddy since late September has subsided, local government officials said Tuesday.
Banteay Meanchey province’s Agriculture Department Director Heng Bunhor said that only low-lying areas in the two affected districts of Preah Netr Preah and Phnom Srok were still flooded, but that there was little damage to rice crops.
“This flood was good for my province because before we had drought,” he added.
Khut Bun Chhov, deputy governor of Phnom Srok district, said by telephone Tuesday that the floodwaters that had covered about 7,700 hectares of paddy fields had subsided since Sunday.
“Right now we can see the rice plants and they seem not be seriously affected,” he added.
Preah Netr Preah district Governor Chong Phet said that the flooding in three communes in his district, which had engulfed almost 10,000 hectares of paddy had ceased last week after heavy rains in the area stopped.
About 20 percent of all the previously inundated rice fields would have slightly reduced harvests because of flood damage, he said.
Preah Vihear Provincial Agriculture Department Director Poeng Trida said 1,320 hectares of paddy in Preah Vihear province were also not free of flooding.
The floods, which hit the districts of Choam Ksan, Kulen, Chey Sen, Tbeng Meanchey and Rovieng, had affected about 315 hectares of paddy and would likely reduce harvests by about 10 to 15 percent, Poeng Trida said.
His department had arranged for the distribution of 3 tons of rice seed to affected families, he said, adding that the rice variety he distributed had a relatively short growing cycle of only 110 days.
