Cambodian farmers are eager to cultivate organic vegetables rather than rice, as not only do vegetables command higher prices, but they are also quicker to grow. According to the World Bank, vegetables fetch an income of $1575 per hectare while it is $544 per hectare for cassava and $307 per hectare for rice. Rice is grown by the majority of farmers in Cambodia. But now, farmers have started realizing that growing organic food is also a healthy option and can attract more profit.
Following rice, cassava and maize are the other crops grown by the farmers. But this time farmers of Cambodia’s Kampong Speu province are eager to grow vegetables like- spinach, cauliflower, lettuce or collard greens.
“While the vast majority of Cambodian farmers grow rice, and to a lesser extent cassava and maize, only about a quarter do so commercially,” says an analysis done by VOA.
The major advantage regarding growing vegetables is that they are sold at higher prices. Moreover, it requires only a month and a half to harvest. On the other hand, rice requires almost 6 months to harvest.
The World Bank has suggested that Cambodian farmers need to focus on greater yields by increasing the input and trying different crops to increase their productivity. However, farmers are finding it difficult to implement.
Source: newsgram.com