Director of the ministry’s rice department, Kong Kea, inspects damage to rice fields in Otasek village in Kampong Thom province’s Kampong Kor commune last week. - Photo: Agriculture Ministry
PHNOM PENH: At least 13 communes in five districts of Kampong Thom have been affected by flooding, which has inundated over 470 hectares of rice fields in the province.
Communes in Kampong Svay, Stung Sen, Prasat Sambor, Sandan and Baray districts have been hit, with a total of 340 families impacted, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on Wednesday (July 24).
“474 hectares of rice fields were affected and 125 hectares of those were completely destroyed.
"The total affected area is 1.96 per cent compared to the total area of rainy season rice in the communes and 0.24 per cent compared to the area of rainy season rice in the province,” the ministry stated.
A team from the ministry cooperated with provincial governor Nuon Pharath to intervene to restore a temporary canal in Baray commune to release water from a field of about 200 hectares.
Provincial agriculture department director Pen Vanrith told The Post that he was inspecting the impacts on local agricultural crops and was not available for comment.
After last week's heavy rains in the province, director of the ministry’s rice department, Kong Kea, and his team inspected the stricken area in Otasek village in Kampong Svay district’s Kampong Kor commune. He expressed regret over the disaster.
"The rice has been submerged for five days, and the water is murky, which makes the rice susceptible to spoilage.
"Even if the water recedes, it cannot be harvested. I am so sorry [about this]. The yield from this flooded field [should have been] between six and seven tonnes," he said.
"Sadly, for our farmers, this year has been full of problems from fall armyworms [Spodoptera frugiperda], rice leaf folders [Cnaphalocrocis medinalis], rice whiteflies [Aleurocybotus indicus] and floods.
"This month is usually the dry season, but this year it is rainy.
"This strange phenomenon is called climate change," he said.
National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM) spokesman Soth Kimkolmony stated that conditions in the provinces have eased slightly since the rains stopped.
In general, the flooding in Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Kampong Thom, Kratie, Kampong Speu, Battambang, Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong provinces is not currently serious, he said.
“The current situation is not problematic because there is not much rain these days, but according to the forecast of the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, there will be more in the [near] future.
"If it rains, floodwaters will rise only in the river area,” he said.
He added that the water level in Preah Vihear has decreased due to the lack of rain.
In Kampong Thom, the water flowing from Preah Vihear causes the Stung Sen River to rise, affecting some dry season rice crops.
During the flood season, some provincial agriculture departments have advised livestock farmers, especially those with cattle and pigs, to be prepared for animal rescue interventions.
The Siem Reap provincial agriculture department has instructed farmers to set up safe places at the local level to evacuate animals during floods, to provide proper shelter and to prepare food such as straw, dry food and grass, and tents for animals.
It also advised ensuring there is enough water for the animals to drink.
“Do not touch, cut or eat sick or dead animals. Also, it is strictly forbidden to buy, sell or traffic [these] animals due to disease. They must be buried or burned,” it warned.
Sick animals must be separated and the village animal health agency, village authority, commune and professional officers must be contacted to intervene and take timely measures, it added. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
