Bopha

Loan description:

Bopha Kieng is 51 years old and married with six children. Only her youngest child, who is 18, still lives with them in Thmor Korl district in Battambang province. Bopha and her husband (who is shown in the photograph) farm six hectares of rice paddy. They grow only wet season rice, which yields on average two tonnes per hectare. They also have another plot of land, around two hectares, on which they produce dry season rice. On this land they are able to farm twice a year. If they have a good dry season they can produce around three tonnes per hectare. They generally sell their crops directly to a local trader who buys directly from them. To ensure they can produce a sufficient amount of rice this year while their source of funds is limited they have decided to borrow a twelve month loan in order to purchase diesel for their tractor and water pump, good quality seeds, insecticide, weed killer and to cover the harvesting cost. They will also need to rent a threshing machine, which costs around $80 per hectare. Most of the income they will generate from their farming will be used to prepare their land for the next season as well as to cover their daily expenses.