Falling Crop Prices Threaten Boom in Small Farms
November 18, 2008 BANLUNG, Cambodia — A few years ago, this dusty frontier town was little more than a junction of dirt tracks in the jungle, with a handful of wooden buildings and beat-up old cars. Then global crop prices shot up, and Banlung became a boomtown.
Farmers swarmed in and cleared land to plant rubber, [...]
World’s poorest nations meet in Cambodia
As trade officials from the 21 APEC nations prepare for this weekend’s high-profile meeting in Peru, their counterparts from the world’s poorest countries are doing the same in Cambodia. A two-day ministerial meeting of nearly 50 least-developed countries is underway, looking at how poorer nations can integrate into the global trade system. The Director-General of [...]
Cambodia urges unity poor nations in trade talks
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Wednesday poor countries like his must continue speaking with one voice in the Doha round of global trade talks to ensure their competitiveness with developed countries.
He also lashed out at wealthy nations for maintaining trade barriers that hurt poor countries, such as farm subsidies [...]
Chinese Arrive for Talks on Trade, Relations
An official Chinese delegation arrived in Phnom Penh Monday for talks on bilateral relations and trade, an official said.
The delegation, led by Communist party member Zhang Gaoli, met with Prime Minister Hun Sen late Monday.
Ieng Sophalet, an adviser to Hun Sen, called the talks and exchange between “China and Cambodia, between party and party.”
Relations “should [...]
Cambodia inaugurates 1st ethanol factory to produce bio-fuel
PONGNEA LEU, Cambodia, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) – Cambodia opened its first ethanol factory to generate bio-fuel from cassava flour here on Monday.
“This is the first ethanol factory in Cambodia and it will become the market place of cassava product for local farmers,” Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the opening ceremony [...]
Cambodia, Vietnam to build processing plant to boost trade
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) – Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to build a new industrial processing factory aimed at boosting the two countries’ agricultural exports, national media reported Wednesday.
The factory will promote cooperation between the two largely agricultural countries and raise quality standards on export goods such as beans, corn, palm [...]
Cambodia to host ministerial trade conference of least developed countries
PHNOM PENH, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — Cambodia will host a meeting of ministers of industry and commerce from around 49 of the world’s poorest countries described as “least developed” on Nov. 19-20 in Siem Reap province to discuss issues related to international trade, a press release said Thursday.
The conference aims to search [...]
Backgrounder: Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit
HANOI, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) – The 4th Summit of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) will open on Thursday in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The CLMV Summit is an annual event. The first CLMV Summit was held in November 2004 in Vientiane, Laos, with the adoption of the Vientiane Declaration on enhancing economic cooperation and integration among CLMV [...]
Cassava Prices Fall Hard in Kratie Province
Farmers of the cassava tuber in Kratie province have seen prices cut more than half this year, and some of them have vowed to stop growing it.
Prices for fresh cassava fell from 200 riel per kilogram to 80 rile per kilogram, but farmers say they don’t know why. There is virtually no market for dried [...]
Border Standoff Hurting Trade: Economist
The lingering military standoff on the Thai border is likely hurting trade between the two countries, an independent economist said Monday.
“Conflict between two neighboring countries does not bring any benefits,” said Chap Sotharith, an economist and president of the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace. “Firstly, there’s a loss of lives, and secondly, there’s the [...]
