Vietnam Speeds Up Rubber Planting In Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, June 25 (Bernama) -- Vietnamese rubber companies will speed up the progress of rubber planting in an effort to have 100,000 ha of mountainous areas in Cambodia covered with rubber trees by 2012, as agreed to by the two countries' Prime Ministers, Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.

Tran Ngoc Thuan, Deputy Head of the Vietnam Rubber General Department, made the commitment at a launching ceremony for rubber planting in Cambodia in 2009 held in Kratie province on Tuesday.

Thuan expressed thanks to the Cambodian ministries and agencies and Kratie provincial authorities who have created favourable conditions for Vietnamese rubber businesses over the past few years.

The Cambodian government representatives highly valued Vietnam's efforts in overcoming difficulties during the rubber planting process in Cambodia's mountainous provinces.

They said that the operation of Vietnamese rubber companies in Cambodia is clear evidence of the mutually-beneficial economic cooperation between the two countries.

First and foremost, Vietnamese companies have created stable jobs for local people, helping to reduce poverty, they said, adding that rubber tree revenue will make a large contribution to the Cambodian national budget once the rubber is harvested.

The Cambodian side also pledged to do its utmost to help Vietnamese rubber companies fulfil their targets.

There are now seven Vietnamese rubber companies operating in four Cambodian provinces. This year, each company strives to expand its rubber-tree area by 1,000-1,500 ha.

-- BERNAMA