The Commercialisation of Rice Farming in Cambodia

In this and the next five chapters the focus is on the commercialisation of rice farming in the Central Plain of Cambodia. Particularly since 2010, rice has come to be seen as more than merely a subsistence crop or a staple for domestic consumption but as “white gold”—a commodity with major commercial, including export potential. This chapter sets the scene for the in-depth studies on the commercialisation of rice farming in Cambodia by describing the rice-growing environment in Cambodia as a whole, outlining the history of rice production in Cambodia, examining the role of the rice sector in the rapid agricultural and economic growth in Cambodia since 1993, highlighting the changes at the farm level that have underpinned this agricultural growth, and providing a profile of Takeo Province within this larger context. Cambodia has a long history and comparative advantage in rice production. With relative political stability and access to improved varieties and other inputs, farmers have been able to increase the area cultivated and especially per-hectare yields so that total production has grown at over 5% since 1990. From being a rice-deficit country in the 1980s, the country has achieved self-sufficiency and, since 2010, become a serious exporter of paddy and milled rice. Rice farmers in Takeo Province have long made an important contribution to Cambodia’s rice production and currently contribute 8% of wet season output and 19% of dry season output, as well as a major share of exports.