Cambodia Subprogram 2

Income generation and better nutrition through agricultural diversification

The focus is on annual crops which support agro-industry, particularly maize, soybean and cassava, with less emphasis on peanut, mungbean and sesame.

Selection and agronomic performance of maize varieties resistant to downy mildew and stalk rot
Selection and agronomic performance of soybean varieties with improved pest (insects and termites) and disease (yellow mosaic virus, root rot) resistance
Assessment of suitable environmental and soil conditions for reducing the risk of early wet-season soybean production prior to rice
Introduction of agronomically adapted cassava varieties suitable for food and processing applications, including studies of land preparation and soil nutrient management
Field-level water management
Improvement in returns from field crop marketing to value chain actors by:

establishing the advantages and disadvantages of different farmer group institutional models and trading power relationships along the value chain
introducing optimal policies for group establishment and sustainable involvement in microfinance systems
identifying the effectiveness of different formal processes for communication/interaction between chain members
understanding customer requirements to match quality, volume and timing needs of domestic and international markets with production cycles

Synthesis and dissemination of regulations and standards for field and horticultural crop seed and cropping inputs to meet requirements of markets and trading partners
Development and dissemination of simple systems for consistent supply of seed for open-pollinated crops such as soybean

Priority crops for the domestic market include vegetables (leafy vegetables, chilli, crucifers, tomato), fruits (mango, papaya, rambutan, durian, banana) and black pepper, plus other potential new herb and spice products. For the export market, priority crops include chilli, black pepper and fruits (mango, papaya, rambutan and durian)
Understanding of domestic market needs (including matching seasonal supply to demand)
Development of options for more functional input supply chains
Development and dissemination of crop-specific technology information packages, and research into alternate extension and information delivery models for traders and producers
Management of the economics of out-of-season vegetable production, including through protected cropping and containerised production systems
Implementation of low-cost vegetable postharvest handling technologies to reduce losses and maintain product quality, including use of low-cost packaging materials, simple techniques for temperature management and options to establish shorter supply chains
Analysis of suitability of different soil types and on-farm water management and locations (e.g. access to markets, labour availability, local disease and pest pressures) for production of different vegetable species and varieties

Reduction of the impact of trans-boundary diseases, particularly foot-and-mouth, by managing livestock movements
Improvement in ruminant livestock health through integration of better nutrition, identification of diseases of importance to production, and treatments (including vaccination) for preventing and controlling key diseases
Management of ruminant production-reproductive management and year-round availability of feedstuffs for cattle in rice-based farming systems Development of market linkages for smallholder cattle and buffalo producers