The Adoption of Sen Pidao and Phka Rumduol Varieties

Rice is the most potential crop in Cambodian agriculture because her people daily eat rice as staple food; therefore, all almost farmers in the field cultivate it on their agricultural land. Although not growing for sale, they need rice for home food supply. To alleviate poverty in rural areas, the Royal Government of Cambodia in the fourth mandate has been implementing the improvement of agriculture in the first angle of Rectangular Strategy. To respond to an increase in food demand, in line with the government strategy, Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) released two different aromatic varieties, Phka Rumduol in 1999 and Sen Pidao in 2002. An obvious casestudy in Otaky commune, Thmor Koul district, Battambang province, has been stated to investigate the production of these varieties.

Packed Phka Rumduol and Sen Pidao Varieties

Usually, farmers in Otaky commune do the farming between April and November. Through the study, they practice Phka Rumduol, Phka Knhey and Neang Khon in rainy season and do Sen Kror Ob and Phka Malis in early wet season. In rice production, they have two different cultivation methods: transplanting and direct seeding. In case of rainy season with transplanting method, if investing 1 Riel, they receive 1.346 Riels in return for Phka Rumduol, 1.131 Riels in return for Phka Knhey, (1.239 Riels in return for aromatic rice), and 1.089 Riels in return for nonaromatic rice Neang Khon. In another case of rainy season with direct-seeding cultivation method, if investing 1 Riel, they get 1.462 Riels in return for Phka Rumduol, 1.246 Riels in return for Phka Knhey, (1.354 Riels in return for aromatic rice), and 1.207 Riels in return for nonaromatic rice Neang Khon. In the last case of early wet season with direct-seeding cultivation method, if investing 1 Riel, they convert it into 1.451 Riels in return for Sen Kror Ob and 1.270 Riels in return for Phka Malis.

Sen Pidao Variety

Compared between aromatic-rice productions, the production in early wet season is more economic efficient than the one in rainy season both with transplanting and direct-seeding cultivation methods. However, looked into Phka Rumduol production, it is the most economically efficient among aromatic rice varieties. Unfortunately, it is photoperiod sensitivity, which is able to grow only in rainy season. Different from Phka Rumduol, Sen Pidao has been abandoned because this variety is not demanded by the local mills. It is reasoned that Sen Pidao’s grain is smaller than other aromatic varieties’, resulting in not able to be combined with others.

Reference

Trak, P., (2009), Factors Affecting the Efficiency and Adoption of Sen Pidao and Phka Rumduol Varieties of Project CARF-CARDI 162 in Otaky Commune, Thmor Koul District, Battambang Province