Looking Ahead

The Mekong River flows from the Chinese-controlled Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea, through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Farmers in the river basin, Asia’s Rice Bowl, produce enough rice to feed 400 million people per year. Mekong River dams in China, Laos and Thailand held back large amounts of water during a damaging drought in Cambodia last year despite China having higher-than-average water levels upstream.

Cambodia's river system has been blocked: (please watch) A series of over 200+ hydroelectric and diversion dams on the Mekong and its many tributaries have virtually cut off the water flowing into Cambodia. In China, Laos, and Thailand the desire to produce electricity and to prevent Bangkok flooding, has irreversibly damaged agricultural production in nations to the South. Most of the dams are Chinese funded.

 FCOP must change the way we produce rice. We need to build a reservoir that will supply water during drought periods and dikes to prevent flooding during the wet season. This will cost us about $700,000. This is money we do not have, so until we can raise the funds or sell resources to fund the project we must alter our methods. For 2021, FCOP plans to shift a significant portion of the production to a longer season, lower yield rice variety that can withstand greater degrees of both flood and drought. We hate to step backwards, but at this time we are in survival mode. Please pray for us. If you know of any foundations or grant sources please contact us. We will continue to develop on a step by step basis.