FAO Sees Bumper Rice Crop in Cambodia This Year


The Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) expects an exceptionally large rice harvest in Cambodia this year with yields in Vietnam and Thailand forecast to be around average.

“Bumper outputs are expected in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, the Philippines and Nepal,” it said in the Asia section of its quarterly crop prospects report released Thursday.

“In Viet Nam, production of paddy is forecast at near-average levels in 2021, as increased yields are anticipated to compensate for contractions in the planted area.

“In Thailand, after favourable growing conditions between May and August, floods across several provinces in September and October negatively affected the 2021 main crops when they were almost ready to be harvested. Still, and considering that some of these losses can be recovered through the forthcoming 2021 secondary crop, total paddy production is forecast at a near-average level.”

The report forecast overall rice production in Asia to rise 1.3 percent from a year earlier to a record 691.9 million tonnes this year. “The positive production outlook is mostly due to generally favourable weather conditions, which have boosted yield prospects, while the area harvested is forecast to remain close to the 2020 level,” it said.