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| By
: Srey Mom, Photos by
: Sem Vannjohn. |
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Eating
rice, like breathing air,
is a matter of survival
in Cambodia. This granular
staple of the Khmer diet
fulfills both the country's
nutritional and economic
demands, nourishing the
body and the mind.
Starting from the ground
up, farming, particularly
rice farming, employs
approximately 85 percent
of the work force. This
field joins a larger agricultural
sector that accounts for
84 percent of the country's
gross domestic product.
Consider the economic
ramifications of a grain
of rice. The production,
distribution and consumption
of rice allow millions
of people to exist. While
one may think that the
cook who scoops a warm
spoonful of rice onto
a hungry diner's plate
plays the most critical
role in the grain's long
line of production, it
is the farmer that is
truly the most laudable.
For how would a stomach
be filled if a seed had
never been planted?
Svay Keng owns a hectare
of land. He also lays
claim to a family. And
with the help of his sole
plot of earth, Svay Keng
has miraculously turned
himself into a breadwinner.
Really, it is the entire
farming family that makes
the dough rise in Kran
Daun Tey Village, Sangkat
Chom Chou, Khan Dangkor.
"What we got
from our whole year of
hardworking [is a reserve
of rice]. |
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After tilling the land,
the farmers have to back-breakingly
plant the seedlings and
tend to the field attentively
to ensure a good harvest. |
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farmers
have to back breakingly plant the seedlings | |
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| We
do not sell this rice
but keep this supply to
ensure my household's
food security," he
said. "If we need
some extra income to buy
something, we will sell
a share of our stored
rice [stock] for money."
When his hands aren't
gripping a shovel, they're
steering the handlebars
of a moto-bike. "Usually
besides farming, I run
a motor taxi to earn additional
income for the family's
spending," he said,
reflecting the resourcefulness
practiced by many Cambodians.
This cunning cultivator
is one of many farmers
who have learned to coax
life from the earth. A
woman wrinkled by time
told Leisure, "We
are Cambodian, and farming
is a traditional agriculture
[practice] that we inherited
a long time ago from our
ancestors. We never forget
farming and always feel
grateful to rice because
it is the God that can
sustain our life."
Once rice leaves the paddies,
intermediaries involved
with the milling, distribution,
marketing, and sale of
rice share in its economic
rewards. Workers in Battambang
province long have benefited
from the production process.
Rice outputs in this region
are higher than in any
other province. Battambang
is home to the first large
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rice
warehouse supplying rice
to vendors throughout
the country. Here, privately
owned mills buy rice from
farmers in order to run
the grains through a long
grinding process. The
grain is transformed into
three products: husks,
rice, and rough rice bran.
Husks must be stored in
cool conditions while
rough rice bran is useful
at any temperature and
can be found even in the
food of animals and fish.
From Battambang,
rice is distributed to
other provinces and cities
throughout the country,
benefiting rice mill owners,
wholesalers and retailers.
Two types of rice may
be found for sale in the
market: Khmer rice and
Thai rice. The former
hails mainly from Battambang,
Takeo and Neak Leang provinces.
The latter is similar
to Battambang rice but
is glossier and whiter.
While foreign visitors
may not be able to discern
the difference between
the strains of rice, locals
make it a habit to know.
Choup Narath, the son
of a rice seller who hawks
his goods in front of
a railway station, explained
how one can identify the
distinct qualities of
rice.
"Thai
rice is softer and whiter
than Battambang rice because
chemical substances are
used to improve the quality
of the grain. Thai rice
can be stored longer than
Khmer rice," usually
preserved for less than
six months.
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| A
farmer driving a pair
of oxen to till the land
while his wife plants
the seedlings into the
soil. |
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Seedlings
waiting to be planted. | |
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"Most people prefer
to buy Battambang rice
rather than Thai rice
because it does not affect
their health, while others
prefer to buy the combination
of Battambang rice and
Thai rice because Khmer
rice is more rigid than
Thai rice," Choup
Narath added.
His
father currently dominates
the marketplace, but Choup
Narath's careful observation
is preparing him for a
great future as a salesman.
Ready even to sell his
goods to Leisure, he advertised
the three main varieties
of Battambang rice. "A
kilo of Somaly costs 1300
riel, Pkar Kgney costs
1100 riel, and Neang Mingn
costs 900riel. The cheapest
ones are rice from Takeo
and Neakleng called Banla
Pdov costs 800 riel a
kilo," Choup Narath
explained. Thai rice generally
is of a higher quality,
making it more expensive
than the Khmer variety.
While the farmer plays
one of the most critical
parts in the production
of rice, many cultivators
sorely lack the skills
or tools to be truly productive.
Poor farming and marketing
techniques have locked
contemporary farmers into
the antiquated practices
of the past. Many non-governmental
organizations currently
are working to introduce
new methods for farming
so that farmers may yield
maximum outputs and improve
their standard of living.
One particular program
called the Multipurpose
Rice Field is supported
by CEDAC's extension program
to provide solutions allowing
farmers to produce enough
food and income to fulfill
their families' basic
needs while conserving
the natural base.
With the technical assistance
of NGOs, it is expected
that the future of Cambodian
rice production could
achieve a regular export
level with the expansion
of irrigated rice areas,
increased use of fertilizer,
and increased adoption
of high-yielding varieties.
Perhaps then, hardworking
rice farmer will be properly
rewarded for the calluses
and backaches they've
earned ensuring that hungry
Cambodians are fed. |
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Suite
B8, Regency Square, InterContinental
Hotel, 294 Mao Tse Toung
Boulevard,
Phnom Penh,
Kingdom of Cambodia.
Tel: (855) 23 213 133
Fax: (855) 23 213 033
E-mail:
editor@leisurecambodia.com
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