INTRODUCTION
Under changing socio-economic conditions, especially the
return to political stability and peace, an increasing
population, increasing private investment and the improvement of
the rural infrastructure, Cambodian agriculture has undergone a
very dynamic evolution process. In this process, new problems
and opportunities have emerged. This paper attempts to present
general trends in relation to the emerging problems and
opportunities and issues to be addressed by any development
assistance.
An increasing number of small families depend on seasonal work
through migration of their family members. With private
investment, especially in the garment industry, more than one
hundred thousand people from the rural population, mainly young
women, are engaged in the non-agricultural sector.
KEY ISSUES
- Misuse of Pesticides
Commercialization has started in the agriculture sector. The
number of commercial farms and semi-subsistence farms is
increasing. The number of agriculture micro- entrepreneurs
is on the rise, and agricultural inputs, such as pesticide
and fertilizers are widely available in rural markets.
However, misuse of pesticide is widespread, and many farmers
are suffering from health related problems.
- Participatory Development
With the support of development projects, farmer's groups or
self-help groups at the grass-roots level have emerged
slowly and are beginning to actively engage in the process
of participatory development.
- Decentralization of agricultural research, education
and extension
The government has commenced the process of decentralization
of agricultural research, education and extension. However,
these institutions have not yet been democratized. In
addition, there is no public institution to provide formal
vocational training for professional farmers.
- Food security
The aggregate rice production has been stable in the last
five years, with surplus at the national level. However, the
situation is different at the regional and household level.
A growing number of families are not able to produce enough
rice for their own consumption.
- Landlessness
The number of landless and marginal farmers (farmers with
landholdings of less than one hectare) is increasing. Land
conflict among small farmers who need land for agricultural
production and those who need land to increase profits is on
the rise. If this trend continues it will create the
potential for violent conflict.
- Rat infestation
Rat infestation appears to cause significant loss to crop
yield, mainly due to poaching and the destruction of the
habitats of rats' natural enemies.
- Lack of attention to rain-fed agriculture
Agricultural production in the rain-fed low- land and
floating rice ecosystems, where the majority of farmers are
living, has received little attention from large
agricultural development projects. The most important
agro-ecosystems are still dominated by rice monoculture with
low production levels.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For any assistance in agricultural development in Cambodia, we recommend that international donors and the government focus on the following issues:
- Prioritize land use planning and the provision of land
title to farmers as the core of any development assistance
in agriculture.
- Reserve certain areas in land use planning for the
absorption of the increased number of small farmer
communities.
- Recognize the right of communities to manage and use
natural resources.
- Decentralize the public extension service to ensure an
effective and sustainable extension system. Adopt a farmer
led extension approach in the agriculture extension
approaches and strategies of the public service.
- Provide assistance for the development of responsible
private sectors (small-scale enterprise in agricultural
inputs, processing and marketing) and professional farmers'
associations.
- Establish an independent agricultural market information
service and create an autonomous and democratic research
institution as important components of the agricultural
extension system.
- Democratize and promote an autonomous agricultural
education institution, to ensure that human resource
development in agriculture can respond to the needs of the
country.
- Support the farmers training institution so that it can
set up in different geographic zones in order for younger
farmers to benefit from proper professional training.
- Introduce and effectively enforce laws to regulate and
govern agricultural material, to protect the health of small
farmers and minimize environmental destruction.
- Widely promote education programs on pesticide hazards,
alternative pest control and integrated pest management.
- Focus development assistance on the increase of
productivity of the rain-fed agriculture, especially through
the promotion of integrated/diversified farming in the
rain-fed lowland and soil and water conservation practice in
the rain-fed upland agro- ecosystems.
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