News In Brief

Land-ravaged Kampuchea issues a plea for farm aid

Following damage by drought and floods, the Kampuchean government has issued an urgent appeal for rice seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. Some 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of rice have been damaged and 10,000 head of cattle killed. About 2,000 families are homeless, and a further 10,000 families nationwide are threatened with hunger, a government report says.

The setback to the harvest is already having an effect on the economy: The retail price of a kilo of rice in Phnom Penh has almost tripled over the past 10 days or so.