Imports of fertilisers and pesticides have significantly increased as farming in Cambodia rises.
A report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries showed that the total imports of fertilizers and pesticides were 1.2 tons in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 9 percent.
The import of fertilisers amounted to 1.14 million tonnes while pesticide import amounted to 810,000 tonnes, according to the report.
Veng Sakhon, minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said that the increasing demand of fertilisers and pesticides reflects the real situation of agricultural development in Cambodia.
“The yield of agricultural production increased to about 40 million tonnes [in 2019] for every kind of agricultural crops because farmers used fertilisers. So we need much fertilisers to feed crops to increase the yield of harvests,” Sakhon said yesterday.
“Producing fertilisers locally is complex work and we cannot compete with imported fertilisers in terms of price,” Sakhon said. “After a series of studies, we found that some raw materials for producing them still depend on imports and the cost of electricity is high, making the price of products higher.”
However, the government through the Agriculture Ministry is aiming to boost investment in local fertiliser production, he said. The Cambodian government has increased agricultural products, livestock and fisheries to secure food stockpiles in a move against COVID-19.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
