Diesel price doubles in Cambodia on Middle East war fallout
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Cambodia relies totally on imports for its consumer fuel, and the government caps oil and petrol prices.
PHOTO: EPA
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PHNOM PENH - Cambodia’s diesel price on April 1 reached double its level at the start of the war in the Middle East after the latest government increase, official figures showed, raising concerns among farmers ahead of the ploughing season.
The price rose to 7,500 riel (S$2.40) per litre as of midnight on April 1, up from 7,200 riel the previous day and 3,750 riel in late February, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb 28, triggering a regional conflict that has caused global oil and gas prices to surge and sparked fears of fuel shortages, especially in import-reliant Asia.
A litre of regular petrol in Cambodia now costs 5,450 riel, up from around 3,750 in late February, the Commerce Ministry said.
The South-east Asian nation relies totally on imports for its consumer fuel, and the government caps oil and petrol prices.
Mr Bun Thoeun, 71, from Battambang – a major rice-producing province bordering Thailand – told AFP by phone that the surging fuel prices are a worry for farmers like him.
“The high price of diesel has put farmers in a difficult situation,” said Mr Bun Thoeun, who owns a homemade tractor that runs on diesel.
The local cost to rent a tractor to plough rice fields has nearly doubled, from 80,000 riel to 150,000 riel, he said.
Farmers would begin ploughing from May, he added.
Diesel is also needed to fuel water pumps to irrigate paddy fields, he said.
“We hope there will be a lot of rain; that would help.” AFP
