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NGO Statement, 2000 Consultative Group Meeting On Cambodia


 AGRICULTURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS


NGO Statement to the 2000 Consultative Group Meeting on Cambodia

- Home.................................
- About us.............................
- Message.............................

- Introduction........................
- Progress.............................
- Good Governance................
- Human Resource 
- Development
......................
- Reaching the Poor...............
- Conclusion..........................

Sectoral Papers..................

- Agriculture.......................
- Child’s Rights......................
- Commune Administration 
- and Decentralization
............
- Commune Elections.............
- Disability and Rehabilitation..
- Education............................
- Fisheries.............................
- Forestry Reform..................
- Gender and Development.....
- Good Governance................
- Health................................
- HIV/AIDS...........................
- Human Rights......................
- Landmines..........................
- Land Reform.......................
- Microfinance........................
- Weapons Reduction.............

General NGO Information...

References.........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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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