Arya News - Beyond agriculture, locals say Cambodia`s National Road 10 and the Russey Chrum Bridge have also opened new opportunities for tourism – transforming the once-remote O’Soam commune to a destination more accessible to ordinary tourists.
PHNOM PENH – The development of National Road 10 and the Russey Chrum Bridge, Cambodia’s tallest bridge, is transforming livelihoods in the once-remote O’Soam commune.
Farmers in the mountainous area, in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district in Pursat province, previously struggled to transport their produce to market but now have buyers arriving directly at their farms. Improved accessibility is also creating new opportunities for tourism and community-based economic development.
Veal Veng district governor Theang Leng met with media representatives during an October 23 tour of the district. He explained how the new road and bridge connections have become major drivers of the local economy.
“In the past, transporting agricultural products out of O’Soam commune was extremely difficult. Farmers could grow their crops, but they could not get their produce to market because the roads were so bad,” he said.
“Since we have had this bridge and road, agricultural production has expanded and markets have become more accessible. Farmers can obtain better prices, and living conditions in the commune have improved,” he added.
According to the governor, goods from O’Soam can now be transported along two main routes: towards Pursat provincial town and onward to Phnom Penh, or towards Koh Kong province, creating additional options for transporting goods and reaching buyers.
The changes are also reflected in efforts to organise agricultural communities, bringing farmers together to increase production and collectively seek new markets.
Local farmers once let their fields lay fallow, as transportation links meant they could not reach distant markets.
Farmers stronger, together
Leang Pitch, who helped promote the establishment of agricultural, forestry and tourism communities in O’Soam, told The Post that the main objective was to strengthen the local economy before expanding connections with markets beyond the commune.
“Before development can take place outside the community, the community itself must first become strong. I know that O’Soam has great potential for fruit cultivation. Almost anything can be grown here,” he said.
Pich noted that the improved roads and community organisation had created more opportunities for residents to produce agricultural goods and sell them to tourists and outside buyers.
“We want to show visitors what we have in O’Soam, particularly our fruit crops, while also attracting tourists. We do not want people to come here and find nothing local to eat,” he said.
Pich added that community development initiatives aimed to help farmers earn more consistent incomes.
Tourism community representative Noun Lim agreed, noting that previously, farmers cultivated their land independently, without organised community networks or reliable connections to buyers.
“Farmers with larger plantations can sell their produce through our community to markets in Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and Battambang. Buyers now come directly to us. We no longer have to transport everything ourselves,” he said.
“In the past, farmers did not grow very much because there were no buyers. People depended largely on the surrounding forests and natural resources. There was little interest in expanding cultivation because they did not know where to sell their harvests,” he added.
He added that residents were now paying greater attention to farming, using available land for rotational cropping throughout the seasons rather than leaving it idle.
Among the agricultural products grown in O’Soam, bananas are considered one of the best-selling crops. Other products include taro, pepper, ginger, turmeric and coffee.
Now, they can send fresh produce to market, and even sell at the farm-gate to visiting tourists.
The freshest souvenirs
Lim, who also operates a homestay, said tourists travelling through the area could stop to buy produce at roadside homes or visit plantations directly.
He said some tourists were interested in purchasing fresh coffee beans to roast themselves, while others bought young coffee plants to grow at home.
The community representative said visitors were attracted to O’Soam’s agricultural products because they could see where the crops were grown and observe their freshness firsthand.
Beyond agriculture, Leng said National Road 10 and the bridge had opened new opportunities for tourism, transforming an area once visited mainly by adventure travellers into a destination more accessible to ordinary tourists.
He explained that foreign visitors had previously been relatively few, with most being adventurers, travelling by motorcycle or exploring difficult mountain roads.
Leng said that before the Cambodia-Thailand border fighting in late 2025, the area attracted large numbers of domestic tourists on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with some parking areas unable to accommodate all the vehicles.
He noted that visitors came from provinces across Cambodia, particularly Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap and Battambang. Some travellers used National Road 10 to continue towards the coastal areas of Koh Kong province without having to pass through Phnom Penh.
“They can take National Road 10, enjoy the natural scenery along the way and then reach the seaside. This road and bridge have brought tremendous momentum to tourism and the economy of Veal Veng district,” he said.
Lim noted that the area continued to attract visitors interested in adventure activities, including mountain biking, motorcycling and forest trekking.
He said the community provided guide services.
However, he acknowledged that tourism activity had declined following the armed clashes along the Cambodia-Thailand border, affecting visitor numbers in the area.
“Since the shooting started, tourist numbers have fallen everywhere,” he said.
The decline illustrates that although road and bridge development has created new economic opportunities, tourism growth remains dependent on security conditions and traveller confidence.
Leng expressed hope that the new infrastructure would create favourable conditions for the future expansion of agriculture, industry and tourism services.
“Looking to the future, I believe this infrastructure will contribute significantly to Veal Veng’s development. It can attract major investors because they have roads and bridges that allow them to transport their products more easily,” he said.
Nevertheless, the long-term effectiveness of the road and bridge connections in improving farmers’ livelihoods will depend on market stability, agricultural prices, community organisation and residents’ ability to increase production in response to demand.
Once an isolated area where farmers worried about how to transport and sell their harvests, O’Soam is now gaining new opportunities as buyers travel directly to plantations and locally grown products reach major markets more easily.