Drought over in Cambodia, enough rain to plant rice

Mr. Chan Sarun, Cambodia's Minister of Agriculture and older brother of The Killing fields' film star, Haing S. Ngor.

September 19, 2008

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 19 — Rains across Cambodia are bringing relief to farmers in areas that were suffering from drought, allowing them to start planting rice, national media reported Friday, citing government officials.

The drought in Cambodia was over and all farmers had enough water to plant rice, Chan Sarun, Minister of Agriculture, was quoted by the Cambodia Daily newspaper as saying.

Nine provinces have completed about 90 percent of the planting work and nine others 80 percent.

He said his ministry had distributed more than 100 tons of rice seed in four provinces to support farmers hit by drought.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture's Statistic Department, the total area under cultivation stood at two million hectares this week, up from about 1.6 million hectares in late August.

However, the current cultivated area is still about seven percent less than the total area under cultivation in mid- September 2007. (PNA/Xinhua)