Soybean farmers in Pailin municipality reported this week that more than two weeks of heavy rains in the area have caused heavy losses to their crops.
Peam Neat, a farmer in the municipality’s Pailin district, said that just a few weeks ago, he had been expecting to earn a decent profit from his 1 hectare soybean field.
Heavy rains, however, have damaged half of his crop.
“I lose money from this year’s soybean crop,” he said.
Earlier this year, Peam Neat said, his sesame crop was destroyed by drought.
“I am very disappointed with my farm. When it is growing well it is fine, but in the end too much rain destroyed it,” he said.
Chan Dara, 27, said he planted 4 hectares of soybean and was expecting to produce about 8 tons of beans this season.
The recent rains have now cut those expectations back to about 6 tons, he said.
Merchants are also offering farmers low prices for their soybean, which is of poorer quality due to the rains, he said.
Currently, 1 kg of soybean is fetching 300-800 riel, while last year it was 1,100-1,200 riel, Chan Dara said.
The government has a responsibility to protect farmers by setting fixed prices for agricultural produce, he said.
“Farmers always are given lower price because government does not take care of us. If government…fixes the price we will get better.”
Keut Sothea, deputy governor of Pailin municipality, said that he has no official report on damage caused to crop and could not estimate if the problem was widespread.
Though the selling price for soya may have dropped, the demand for the bean was still high, he said.
