Kirivong
More actions
| Kirivong | |
|---|---|
| Bayong Kor, Green Triangle | |
| Hierarchy | |
| Gene Pool | Southeast Asian Gene Pool |
| Growing Region | Southern Cambodia |
| Geography | |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Province/State | Takeo |
| District | Kirivong |
| Coordinates | 10.641000, 104.844000 |
| Landscape | |
| Elevation | 50–400 m |
| Terrain | Low mountain range, forested slopes |
| Climate | |
| Climate Type | Tropical monsoon |
| Rainfall | ~1,500 mm annually |
| Seasons | Wet (May–Nov), Dry (Dec–Apr) |
| Documentation | |
| Appellations | 0 |
| Accessions | 11 |
| Conservation | |
| Status | Endangered |
Kirivong is a landrace cannabis growing area in Kirivong district, Takeo province, Cambodia, and the primary centre of cannabis cultivation in the country since the early 2000s. The area is defined by the Bayong Kor mountain range, a low forested range along the Vietnamese border spanning four communes: Preah Bat Choan Chum, Prey Ampok, Som and Kiri Chung Koh.[1]
Takeo provincial police chief Chheang Phannara stated in December 2021 that growing marijuana in Preah Bat Choan Chum commune "is not a new practice and it has been going on for many generations," attributing its persistence to local authorities' "lack of will to implement the law."[2] Police reports describe the terrain as "ideal for growing marijuana and smuggling to Vietnam."[1]
Cannabis from Kirivong supplies both the Vietnamese cross-border market and domestic distribution to Kampot, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. Dried marijuana sells at the farm gate for 140,000–160,000 riel (US$35–40) per kilogram to Vietnamese traders who come to the commune to buy directly.[2]
Geography
The Bayong Kor range forms a low mountain barrier along the Cambodian-Vietnamese border in the southeastern corner of Takeo province. The terrain consists of forested slopes and ridgelines interspersed with small valleys, rising from the lowland rice paddies at approximately 50 m elevation to peaks of around 400 m. The area's proximity to Vietnam, combined with rugged terrain and limited road access, makes it both an effective production zone and a natural smuggling corridor.
Cannabis is cultivated on remote mountain slopes rather than in the lowland agricultural areas. Plots are dispersed across the four communes, typically concealed within forest cover and accessed by foot trails requiring treks of 5 km or more from the nearest roads.[1]
Cultivation
Growing practices
Modern cultivation in Kirivong is shaped entirely by the need for concealment under active eradication. Characteristic practices include:
- Dispersed small plots on remote mountain slopes rather than concentrated fields
- Intercropping with cassava, cashew, sesame and forest trees for concealment
- Sophisticated irrigation infrastructure: wells, ponds, piped water systems and reservoirs
- Seasonal forest camps where growers "live in the forest" during the growing period
- Rapid replanting at new locations after eradication raids[1][3]
Kirivong district police chief Yuk Sarath confirmed in 2017 that "villagers in this commune have grown such plants in their own field for family use, and also for illegal sale to Vietnam and Phnom Penh."[4]
Enforcement tracking
Kirivong has been the subject of sustained eradication campaigns, with operations typically intensifying in the dry season (December–April). The scale of documented destruction is significant:
| Period | Plants Destroyed | Operations/Locations | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1 2017 | 134,886 | 47 locations | [4] |
| 1 Feb 2020 (single operation) | 180,367 | 24 locations | [1] |
| 2019–mid 2021 (cumulative) | — | 97 operations, 443 locations, 282 reservoirs destroyed | [1] |
The cumulative 2019–2021 enforcement data covers 60.97 hectares of cultivated area with 80.5 kg of dried marijuana confiscated.[1]
Enforcement is constrained by the remote terrain. Commune police chief In Savuth described tracking methods: "We looked for signs in the forest, footprints and traces of people walking on the rocks."[1] Cultivators typically flee before police arrive, villagers refuse to identify plot owners, and undercover agents sometimes pose as honey hunters or wildlife foragers to locate farms.citation needed A persistent "whack-a-mole" dynamic characterises the cycle: "When we crack down on marijuana plants in the west, growers secretly plant them in the east because this area is on the Cambodian-Vietnamese border."[3]
Knowledge export
Kirivong's established cultivation expertise has been documented radiating to other provinces under enforcement pressure. In 2021, a man from Takeo province established a 7,000-plant operation on Bunong indigenous land in Mondulkiri, deceiving local landowners who "saw plants they had never seen before."[5]
Supply Chain
The modern Kirivong supply chain operates as follows:
- Cultivation by villagers, often coordinated by brokerscitation needed
- Drying and processing on-site or at forest campscitation needed
- Sale to Vietnamese traders who travel to the commune to buy directly at the farm gate[2]
- Cross-border transport to Vietnam, with secondary domestic distribution to Kampot, Sihanoukville, Phnom Penhcitation needed
Trafficking is conducted by motorbike runners carrying loads of approximately 13 kg per trip.citation needed Officials consistently report that local growers "do not use locally" and that production is entirely for export.[2]
Accessions
| Accession ID | Name | Priority | Collected | Locality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-002024001 | Kirivong General Population 2024 | Critical | 20 June 2024 | |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230001 | Kirivong General Population 2023 | Critical | 15 April 2023 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230006 | Kirivong 'Pha-aok' General Population 2023 | Critical | 15 April 2023 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230002 | Kirivong 'Lime' General Population 2023 | Critical | 15 April 2023 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230003 | Kirivong 'Cambodian Red' General Population 2023 | Critical | 15 April 2023 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230004 | Kirivong 'Phnom Bayang' General Population 2023 | 15 April 2023 | Secret | |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420230005 | Kirivong 'Ta Ou' General Population 2023 | Critical | 15 April 2023 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420220001 | Kirivong General Population 2022 | Critical | 15 April 2022 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420220002 | Kirivong 'Lime' General Population 2022 | Critical | 15 April 2022 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420220003 | Kirivong 'Cambodian Red' General Population 2022 | Critical | 15 April 2022 | Secret |
| ZOM-KHM-TAK-0420220004 | Kirivong 'Mango Passion' General Population 2022 | Critical | 15 April 2022 | Secret |
Conservation Status
Conservation status: Endangered — Active eradication, multi-generational cultivation under sustained enforcement pressure, no known preservation efforts.
Kirivong's landrace populations face the most acute eradication pressure of any growing area in Cambodia. The annual destruction of tens of thousands of plants, combined with the systematic dismantling of irrigation infrastructure (282 reservoirs destroyed between 2019 and 2021 alone[1]), eliminates not just standing crops but the physical cultivation infrastructure that supports them.
Despite this pressure, cultivation has persisted for generations. The multi-generational continuity documented by provincial authorities suggests a resilient seed-saving and agricultural knowledge transmission system, but the scale and frequency of eradication operations represent an ongoing threat to genetic diversity and traditional practices.
Recent News
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Ry Sochan. "Hunt on for Takeo marijuana growers." Phnom Penh Post, 1 June 2021. [1]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Khouth Sophak Chakrya. "Officers told to tackle marijuana cultivation." Phnom Penh Post, 6 December 2021. [2]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nov Sivutha. "Police destroy five marijuana farms in Takeo province." Phnom Penh Post, 12 August 2021. [3]
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Khouth Sophak Chakrya. "Field of Dreams: Marijuana crop destroyed in Takeo." Phnom Penh Post, 5 July 2017. [4]
- ↑ Orm Bunthoeurn. "Mondulkiri marijuana farm busted." Phnom Penh Post, 5 April 2021. [5]