PAILIN: After the Royal Government announced the end of 20 February event, crop farmers along the border line expressed their happiness and hope that the price of agricultural products will be higher than before.

Kong Kol, a 70-year-old male farmer living in Sambo village in Sala Krao district said that he has more than 10,000 banana plantations over more than 7 hectares of hand, and has started to increase his harvest two months ago. At present, he says he harvests and sells his products to traders at a price of roughly 40 cents (1,500 Riel) per kilogram, which can hardly cover his costs. However, he hopes that after the closing of the 20 February event and the reopening of the country, all areas of agricultural production will be able to increase the price of products.

Similarly, another farmer, 23-year-old Sovanny, also living in Sala Krao commune and selling bananas, expressed her happiness after the reopening of the country, saying she hopes to be able to export and sell her products abroad like before.

"A few days ago, we heard that there were foreign companies who came to inquire about our products, but they gave us a contract at 15 baht (45 cents) per kilogram, which is equal to 1,800 riels, and the farmers did not agree. In the future, I hope that our bananas will be able to sell up to almost US $2.45 (10,000 riel) per kilogram,” she said.

Regarding the agricultural market, the director of the Pailin Provincial Department of Commerce, Sok Sathim, said that he was coordinating with officials in Thailand to allow the country to buy more crops from the province, which will help to increase prices accordingly.

"In the past, there were tensions due to the Covid-19 crisis, but… soon our agricultural products will be imported to Thailand as before, and at a higher selling rate," he said.

According to the director of the Agricultural Productivity Bureau of Pailin Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Phan Sophannara, there are currently about 387 hectares of banana plantations in Pailin province, which comprises of 37 hectares of Pong Moan banana plantations and 350 hectares of Nam Va banana plantations.