CAMBODIA (2 June)
There are two seasons of paddy production in the country: wet season and dry season, with the wet season production accounting for some 80 percent of the total. Cambodia had a bad season in 2004/05 due to a bad drought that affected certain areas for the third year in a row. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the country produced only 3.1 million tonnes of wet-season rice, 700 000 tonnes less than the previous year (which was a record harvest). Kompong Cham, Kompong Speu and Mondolkiri provinces had the highest percentages of crop loss. WFP began distributing 1 500 tonnes of rice aid to 150 000 rural Cambodians. There are some 500 000 people who face food shortage in the country.