FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 04/02 - CAMBODIA (8 April)
The dry season irrigated and flood recession paddy crops are being harvested. These crops account for about 20 percent of the annual rice output. An about average harvest of 0.8 million tonnes of paddy is expected. The main 2001/02 rice crop was harvested in December/January; despite a very dry July 2001 and excessive rains and flooding in August, the latest estimate points to an above-average harvest of 3.3 million tonnes of paddy. In aggregate, the 2001/02 paddy harvest is estimated at 4.1 million tonnes, equivalent to 2.6 million tonnes of milled rice, slightly below the good harvests of the past two years.
Following three years of good rice harvests, the national food supply situation in 2002 is satisfactory. However, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in south-east Asia, and a large part of its population remains food-insecure, while thousands who were affected by the floods of 2000 and 2001 still need food assistance.