Cambodia

Agriculture remains a significant part of the Cambodian economy and accounts for about two-thirds of employment. The agriculture sector remains highly relevant to Cambodian economic growth in the medium term, not only because of its ongoing contribution to employment but also because other recent growth sectors, including the garment industry, construction and tourism, have contracted in recent times. The Cambodian agricultural production environment is, in general, harsher than the fertile lowlands of other countries in the region. Soils are generally poor, often becoming waterlogged during the wet season, and three-quarters of the agriculture is rainfed. The predominance of rice-based farming systems on infertile, poorly structured soils means that Cambodia has rather low agricultural productivity on the basis of both labour and land area.

Water management is a particular challenge for both dryland and irrigated cropping. The flatness of many prime rice-cropping areas means that it is difficult to both control flooding through drainage management and impound water for later use in irrigation. In contrast to other parts of Asia, many farmers are able to produce only a single crop per year. Combined with the problems of low productivity, volatile yields and strong seasonality, this has contributed to poor market linkages. In addition, there is a lack of investment in plantations and contract farming although it is understood that issues of land ownership/control loom large in this regard.

Average rice yields are low, and Cambodia’s predominantly rainfed farming systems are also highly prone to the effects of seasonal climate variability and, in the long term, impacts of climate change. The poorest farmers will bear the brunt of climate change because they live in the more-vulnerable areas. The impacts of climate change will amplify food security issues. ACIAR’s focus is to develop capacity to adapt to climate change at the farm scale.

The overwhelming driver for most Cambodian smallholder farmers is to secure their household food production to avoid annual hungry periods. Food security is closely linked to climate change adaptation research, especially with rice-based production systems. To improve overall labour productivity in rice, there have been slow but significant moves to mechanisation, with introduction of small-scale equipment and the use of direct seeding. ACIAR’s projects target improving rice productivity by assessing land suitability for a second rice crop and developing options for the production and marketing of non-rice crops. The latter area includes production and marketing systems for other field crops such as maize and legumes in upland and lowland situations, and for production and marketing options for vegetables in areas with good access to markets. Cambodia’s low population density, particularly in the uplands, should provide potential for increasing ruminant livestock production. However, challenges remain in the supply of low-cost animal feed and the maintenance of product quality. Smallholder livestock are important in the Cambodian agricultural economy, and ACIAR will support research to assist control of trans-boundary diseases and increases in animal production, particularly of ruminants.

ACIAR is managing the research and extension component of a 5-year, $42 million CAVAC program. The ACIAR-managed components commenced in early 2009, while the other components commenced in early 2010. CAVAC’s goal is to accelerate growth in the value of agricultural production and smallholder incomes in selected provinces (Kampong Thom, Takeo and Kampot) through improved productivity of rice-based farming systems. Under CAVAC the research and extension component, co-funded by AusAID and ACIAR:

• funds and manages programs of priority research activities that address constraints in selected value chains


• implements a farmer extension program among participating water-user and agribusiness groups


• enhances the capacity of extension providers to transfer improved technologies and information to farmers


• develops and implements a partnership program linking researchers, extensionists, farmers and agribusiness


• assists in sustaining the operational capacity of the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

ACIAR-managed work integrates with other CAVAC components, addressing agribusiness development, water management and irrigation, and the furthering of a business-enabling environment.

The Cambodian Agricultural Research Fund (CARF), established in 2002 with AusAID and ACIAR co-funding, continues under CAVAC, providing Cambodian scientists with opportunities to identify research priorities, design demand-driven agricultural research projects, compete for agricultural research funds and lead the selected projects. Considerable progress has been made in developing the scientific expertise of a number of Australian-trained Cambodian researchers who are poised to contribute significantly to the development of Cambodian agriculture. ACIAR’s focus is on continuing individual capacity building through postgraduate training and mentoring of Cambodian scientists. This is achieved through project involvement, as well as support of the development of major research-providing institutions through partnerships with international counterparts in research and extension projects. ACIAR will also maintain an emphasis on short-course training in areas such as R&D priority setting and management; enhancing research– extension linkages; scientific proposal and report writing in English; and experimental design and analysis. This also includes training and technical assistance with production of the Cambodian Journal of Agriculture.

ACIAR’s program has a focus on the southern provinces (Kampot, Takeo, Kandal, Prey Veng and Kampong Cham), two Tonle Sap provinces (Kampong Thom and Siem Reap) and two north-western provinces (Battambang and Pailin, mainly emphasising non-rice field crops). These provinces were selected on the basis of access to emerging domestic and international (Thailand, Vietnam) markets and as key production locations for the agreed priority crops and ruminant livestock. The geographical focus of CAVAC is on Takeo, Kampot and Kampong Thom provinces. Where possible, ACIAR will establish linkages with other donor programs.