AGRICULTURE IN CAMBODIA 2011

The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) recently approved agricultural investment projects worth more than $230 million, involving rubber, palm oil and sugar production and processing. China’s Yellow Field International Ltd and Great Field International are planning to invest $74.6 million and $66.4 million respectively to grow sugar cane and other crops; Vietnam plans two rubber plantations and processing
factories; a Malaysian company is investing in a palm oil plantation, while United States - based Horizon Agriculture Development and Singapore and Malaysia’s Mondul Agri Resources plan to invest $28.8 million and $30 million respectively to grow rubber trees. For investors looking to grow and process crops, Cambodia is an ideal location as it has plenty of land available for agricultural concessions. From 1993 to 2009 a total of 126 companies were granted land concessions for growing crops, according to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Concessions for the period totalled 1,335,724 hectares in 16 Cambodian provinces. Cambodia is rich in farmland and hopes to att ract more investment to the sector. The country wants to develop its rice exports and therefore welcomes investors, especially those willing to work with small farmers. In return for investments such as credit and technical assistance, farmers would be contracted to sell their crops to the investor.

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CAMBODIA FESTIVITIES

The Kingdom of Cambodia has a wealth of traditional and cultural festivals dated according to the Cambodian lunar calendar. All of these festivals are infl uenced by the concepts of Buddhism, Hinduism, and royal cultures.
The festivals, which serve as a source of great joy, merriment and Cambodia’s national colors, play a major role in infl uencing tourists’ opinions, behaviors, and options. Most of these are a time of great rejoicing for the predominantly urban and the rural populace. Nowadays the whole nation unites in understanding its cultural values and traditions. On these pages, are some of the important celebrations organized during the year.

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Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Social strata in precommunist Cambodia may be viewed as constituting a spectrum, with an elite group or upper class at one end and a lower class consisting of rural peasants and unskilled urban workers at the other end. The elite group was composed of high - ranking government, military, and religious leaders, characterized by high prestige, wealth, and education or by members one of the royal or noble families. Each one of the subgroups had its own internal ranking system. Before the ouster of Sihanouk in 1970, the highest ranks of the elite group were fi lled largely by those born into them. The republican regime in the early 1970s invalidated all royal and noble titles, and the only titles of social significance legally in use in connection with the elite group were those gained through achievement. Military and government titles tended to replace royal and noble titles. In spite of the legislated loss of titles, however, wide public recognition of the royalty and the nobility continued. The deferential linguistic usages and the behavior styles directed toward members of these groups persisted through the 1970s and, to a limited extent, were still present in the late 1980s.

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Battambang Products

Khmer Grape Wine:
Khmer’s Red Wine is made from grape fruits and is a new product in Battambang Cambodia. Cambodia’s grape wine was recognized by OVOP National Committee as a product of One Village One Product. In order to see the grape plantation, you drive towards Banan temple; you will approach the three - hectare
vineyard on the left hand in Banan. Soil in Battambang is quite a good for growing grapes. At least 300 bott les of wine has been on sale in Battambang market town every month. Around 10,000 bottles have been annually produced. Immortality: Grape Wine is a Khmer homemade product, which is produced to help improve living conditions of all Khmer peoples that certainly lead to One Village, One Products.

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RICE BOWL OF CAMBODIA

Battambang is a relaxed and laid back town sitt ing on the banks of the Sangker River just to the south west of the Tonle Sap lake, Battambang is primarily a farmer and trader town, The area is known locally and internationally as the “Rice Bowl” of Cambodia. RICE  BOWL OF CAMBODIA This is because the economy of Battambang is extremely efficient in the production of rice, and additionally because of the comparative advantage and local endowments in the region. An estimated 2,400 square kilometers of land is used in rice production, with the figure growing consistently each year. The abundance of land results in over 500,000 tonnes of rice being produced annually; around 300,000 tonnes of that rice is traded locally and internationally and makes a refreshing change from the tourist town of Siem Reap as it still has a very local, untouristed, provincial atmosphere.

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CAMBODIA’S FASHIONABLE REBELS

As the sun sets, the rebels come out. Their favourite form of transport is the Scoopy motorbike. Their destination is Phnom Penh’s riverside branch of Pencil. On the face of it, this is an unlikely venue for youthful
insurrection. This nondescript, low - rise building in Cambodia’s capital was, until recently, a slightly shabby supermarket. But where the shelves of food and household goods once stood, the rag trade has taken over.
This is what the rebels have come for. You shall know them by the brevity of their skirts and the blondness of
their hair. Too much flesh? They arrive in force. Hundreds of motorbikes are already crammed into the narrow parking area in front of Pencil by 17:00, and a growing queue of others is starting to block the road. The four-wheeled drive cars dropping off  the more well -to - do rebels exacerbate the congestion.

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IN BETWEEN SHOPPING AND GAMBLING

In Aranya Prathet, Thailand (Rong Kluea Market / Thai Border side) you will be surprised to fi nd there are a lot of shops and you could spend all day shopping. Rong Kluea Market is what “Aran” is best known for. It starts up at 7am. There is a sense of repetition as you walk through the stalls and shops because they sell similar goods in batches, but it is worth looking for that bargain or something special. Popular with Thai and Cambodian who want to buy secondhand brand names to re - sell,  Rong Kluea is the largest market on Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. Thousands of Thai and Cambodian visit on the weekend, walking around or renting motorcycles and bicycles because you cannot walk around the entire market in one day. You will see Levis, Ben Sherman, and all other manner of discarded clothing, handbags, and lots of other stuff  that actually look better worn than new. Traders come to purchase counterfeit goods for their stores. Things to see include; not only secondhand & new clothing, but also food, dry fi sh, fruit and vegetables.  Many visitors

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