PHNOM PENH: Prey Veng is the leading province in Cambodia in terms of rice production for local consumption and export to foreign markets, affirmed H.E. Chea Somethy, Governor of Prey Veng province, at a press conference in Phnom Penh yesterday.
In the last five years, he pointed out, this southwestern province has produced a total of more than 7 million tonnes of paddy rice or an average of more than 1 million tonnes per year.
After consumption, Prey Veng province exported a surplus of over 5 million tonnes of paddy rice to domestic and international markets, generating about US$1,250 million.
Mr. Ouk Samnang, Director of Prey Veng Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, attributed the province’s rice cultivation progress to the development of irrigation infrastructure allowing farmers to grow rice many times a year.
According to Prey Veng Provincial Governor H.E. Chea Somethy, in addition to rice production, the provincial farmers depend on subsidiary crop growing and livestock farming.
The most interesting one is raising ducks for eggs, he said, adding that there are some 1.5 million ducks in his province, providing nearly 1 million eggs a day to supply the province itself and other provinces as well as Phnom Penh’s capital.