• Society

Seed Planters Help Ease Farmers’ Burden

• By Nhor Sokhoeurn
• November 30, 2023 10:55 AM

KANDAL – Farmers in Kandal’s Tahing village are using more mechanised techniques with the latest being seed planters to help them grow crops such as corn and rice and which have saved significant time and energy.

Mom Hak, 60, and her husband, Kin Nhor, 61, have been farming almost all their lives. They used to use cows to plow land and grew crops by hand. 

They later bought a tractor and other machines to help with their work.

“My family has used a tractor for over 1o years to grow corn, plow land and drive corn and rice to buyers. Using a tractor is also tiring but it shortens working time,” Hak said. 

“Before, we used only animal power, so we spent many hours plowing one field and at the end of the day we were too exhausted.”

In November, Hak bought a seed planter after her neighbors had been using one for three years.

“In the past, I used to sprinkle rice by hand in a field of about 30 square meters, it took almost an hour. My shoulders, hands and feet were sore afterwards,” she said. “But now it only takes 10 minutes in a field.” 

Man Lida and her husband Yann Noeun​ are also famers. They work in the same area as Hak’ s family. They’ve been using a tractor 17 years but have not yet bought a seed planter. 

“When I and my husband were just married, we used cows but we’ve changed to using a tractor. It helps us plow land faster and planting crops,” he said. 

“It’s easier and faster than cows and helps farm work more than cows.”

The place they are farming is about 7km from the village. There are seven families in the area with each family owning one tractor. Only two families have a seed planter. 

A new tractor may cost $1,500. A seed planter costs between 300,000 riel and 600,000 riel ($75-150) depending on brand.