Agriculture and Rural Development

(i) Introduction

Agriculture has been playing an important role by ensuring food security at community and national level as wall as in the provision of employment/income opportunity for a growing population (about 75 % of the population is employed in the primary sector). In addition, agriculture plays an important environmental role as water shed protection, ensuring quality of water and soil resource and bio-diversity, depending on the type or form of farming practices.

(ii) Key Issues and General Trend

Agricultural development has received attention from various development programs. However, the public research and extension system is still poorly developed so that the majority of small farmers do not have access to technical and market information. Existing efforts have focused on increasing rice production through fertilizer recommendation, the introduction of improved seed varieties and integrated pest management. In the livestock sector, programs tend to focus on vaccination and training of village livestock agents.

Except for the IPM and farmer field school approach, most of the initiatives and efforts to address food security and agricultural development focus on promoting the increased use of agro-chemicals. Farmers now believe that increased agricultural production can be achieved only by using more modern inputs or by using modern inputs properly. This approach does contribute to increased production, but at higher costs on imported/external inputs especially fertilizer and pesticides. This trend has a negative effect not only on the household economy, but also the national economy since these inputs are mainly imported. It is estimated that Cambodia spent around $US 50 million on fertilizer and pesticides annually in 2000 and 2001. Also, environmental impact of the widespread use of agro-chemical remains an important issue.

The Minister of Agriculture has raised the issues related to the increasing imports of and widespread use of agro­chemicals during the recent annual meeting of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The most alarming situation is that the most dangerous pesticides are still widely used by farmers^, even though this issue has been raised since the mid-90s and a sub-decree was issued in October 1998. The pesticide used by farmers also includes persistent pesticide “DDT”, which is not in the list to be banned according to the 1998 sub-decree, but it is banned according to the Stockholm Convention on Organic Pollutants, POPs (Cambodia is a signatory to this convention).

The aggregate rice production has been stable in the last five years, with a surplus at the national level. However, the situation is different at regional and household levels. There are growing number of families who are not able to produce enough rice for self-consumption, especially in the areas affected by the worst floods in 2000 and 2001.

The reality is that in most of Cambodia there is enough food to eat but still nearly half of the rural children do not eat properly. In terms of food security, the availability issue has been resolved but the problem of access is still very prevalent. For example a recent survey conducted by SCALE in Kandal provinces shows that 46% of children were stunted. In comparison, a national survey by UNICEF in 1996 showed that 56.4 % of children under five ware stunted while a more recent UNICEF survey in five provinces showed 48 % of children under five were stunted..

As Cambodia’s population is increasing rapidly, and employment opportunities in the non-agricultural sector are limited, an increasing number of the rural youth are facing problems with employment. In addition, employment in agriculture generally does not ensure a stable income since they do not receive proper training and the land allocation from parents is too small to support them to start their own farm business.

The Royal Government of Cambodia, through the Ministry of Commerce has been pursuing membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). However, there has been little or no dialogue or debate, including public consultations, on the impact of WT0 (the Agreement on Agriculture, AOA) on Cambodian agriculture, especially on small farmers.

(iii) Recommendations

• A decentralized and small farmer oriented national research and extension system should be put in place. This should include supporting the initiatives and efforts of farmers in organizing themselves in associations or cooperatives.

• There is a need for public investment both in physical and human resource management as well as in technology development. The public research center should be set up according to specific agro-ecosystem, such as rainfed lowland, upland, annual flooded agro-ecosystems. It should be linked with a decentralized extension team or unit, which should be based at district level.

• Allocation of resources for the support of research and extension program should be based on the quality of proposals and program implementation. Research and extension agencies are challenged to develop program proposals if good quality. Community-based organizations and NGOs should be allowed to participate in this process, so that there are pluralistic and responsible service provision systems.

• With regards to research and extension, the priority should be given to pro-small farmer initiatives and/or innovative approaches in intensifying and diversifying agricultural production based on sustainable and low external input principles. These should not only seek to intensify rice production, but also to diversify agricultural production to cope with the problem of food security and malnutrition. The system of rice intensification (SRI) or the system of improved practices in water, plant, soil and nutrient management is one example of an innovative approach. SRI is being developed in Madagascar and it is introduced by CEDAC, a Cambodian NGO, in 2000. Now, SRI has been validated by 500 Cambodian farmers, mainly by farmers supported by CEDAC and other organizations such as Prasac II (European Union Funded Project) and GTZ. It has proven to be an appropriate innovation since it allows farmers to increase production up to 150%, with minimal or zero expenditure on agro-chemical. This approach conserves water (up to 50%) which brings big economic and environmental benefits for irrigated rice farming in the dry season. SRI is also an important means for farmers to diversify their rice-based farming systems because once they can get higher rice production from their small plot, they are ready to covert some of their rice fields for growing upland crops and digging a pond and canal for practicing fish culture. This is good for improvement of nutrition, income, and landscape diversity.

• There is a need for effective enforcement of the sub-decree on agricultural material standards, especially the regulation on pesticide use, to ensure that all Class I pesticides are totally banned from being traded and used in Cambodia. In addition, the sub-decree should be revised to include some Class II pesticides, especially DDT and Chlordane, in the list of pesticides to be banned.

• In addition to the enforcement of regulations, public education programs should launch to ensure that farmers and consumers have access to information on pesticides and their hazards.

• Resources and efforts should go to develop a system of rural education, especially training for the rural youth in agriculture and agriculture related business. This training should be combined with loan program so that they can invest to start-up small enterprises in agriculture and agriculture related sector or other rural enterprises.

• Focus on supporting farmer organizations so that farmers can take a more leading role in agricultural development and marketing.

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