Samlot: Rambutan farmers in Samlot district, Battambang province, are experiencing a mixed season. While unfavourable weather has led to a reduced harvest, strong market demand is ensuring good prices for their fruit.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, farmers in the area are currently busy picking the ripened rambutans, known locally as "sawmaw." This year's overall production has been impacted by early-season droughts followed by storms. Despite the lower yield, traders are actively purchasing the fruit at favourable rates.
Soy Ny, a farmer from Ta Sanh Thbong village in Samlot district, cultivates 800 rambutan trees and 70 durian trees. He notes the high demand from traders for rambutans this year. Rambutan cultivation is widespread in several communes, including Sung and Samlot.
Even with a modest land plot, Soy Ny has achieved significant yields from both crops. "The rambutans are ripening well, and buyers come directly to the farm or contact me by phone," he explained. At the start of the harvest, he sold his rambutans for 8,000 Riel (approximately US$2) per kilogramme. While prices typically dip as more farmers begin harvesting simultaneously, usually to around 5,000 to 6,000 Riel per kilogramme (from US$1.25 to US$1.50), he still finds them favourable.
Soy Ny attributes the lower yields primarily to extreme weather conditions, including heavy rain and strong winds that caused many fruits to fall prematurely. However, he considers the current market prices to be better than in previous years.
Most of his ripe rambutans are sold directly to traders, eliminating the need for transport to markets. This year, Samlot's rambutans have been widely distributed to Phnom Penh and other provinces, even before reaching full ripeness. They have not yet, however, reached cross-border markets.
"If I have more available land, I will definitely expand my rambutan cultivation," Soy Ny stated. "They are easier to sell than other fruits, and a single mature tree can yield between 100 to 250 kilogrammes per season, generating significant income."