While the “ultra-collectivization” of the Democratic Kampuchea period had been left behind,
attempts to forge ahead with agricultural collectivization failed because, “the system did not bring much to
the peasants and [due] to the lack of efforts from the Government in implementing it.” 45 In 1979, land
utilization for the production of rice was less than 30% that of the prewar level.46 For the new government,
“development of a collective economy was the goal, family (i.e. individual private) economy should be