Champei Sar 70 (CPS 70) is a non-seasonal crop that matures after three months and is resistant to floods and drought, thereby enabling farmers to grow it two to three times per year. - PPP
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday (April 5) launched a new fragrance rice variety named Champei Sar 70 (CPS 70) after nearly a decade of research and development, said a press statement.
CPS 70 was born of collaboration between the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute and Australia, following nine years of studies and 80 on-farm trials in both dry and wet seasons.
CPS 70 was developed from an award-winning Cambodian rice variety, Phka Rumduol with CNi9024, the statement said, adding that CPS 70 is a fragrant rice that matures after three months.
Fragrant rice is in high demand globally and accounts for more than 60 per cent of Cambodia's total milled rice exports, as the South-East Asian nation targets to export 1 million tonnes of milled rice by 2025.
Agriculture is one of the key pillars of the Cambodian economy, contributing nearly a quarter of the total gross domestic product in 2021, the statement said, adding that agriculture employs over a third of Cambodia's workers, with more than half of them being women.
