Overview
This project aims to build the technological and socio-economic foundations for the design, manufacture and field evaluation of electric and smart 2-wheel tractors that also integrate precision agriculture capability. In doing so, it will evaluate the potential of 2-wheel tractors to enhance the sustainability and productivity of Cambodian agriculture.
The key challenges facing Cambodia's agriculture sector include labour shortages and skill gaps, inefficient agricultural practices and operations, and environmental degradation. There is reduced agricultural productivity due to high labour costs, a lack of available labourers, decreased involvement of young adults and women in the sector, and a lack of skills for employing new agricultural technologies.
To address the some of the challenges facing agriculture, many smallholder farmers in Cambodia have adopted new mechanised solutions such as using diesel-powered 2-wheel tractors (also called walking tractors). While 2-wheel tractors have many benefits, such as being easy to maintain and control, they introduce new problems such as increased greenhouse gas emissions, soil compaction and degradation, health impacts on farm workers, technological limitations to integrating smart farming tools and use being limited to high-powered activities such as tilling.
The electrification of small tractors, coupled with the adoption of precision agriculture technologies, presents a transformative opportunity for Cambodia's agriculture sector. This integration has potential to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of small-scale farming practices, as well as address the pressing challenges of labour shortages, energy efficiency, environment protection, gender equality using labour-saving technologies, young adult interest in agriculture, and diversification of crop production. The project also plans to address improper use and dependency on chemicals for weed control.
The project aligns with Cambodia’s National Agriculture Development Policy for 2022–2030 and its Agri-Tech Roadmap to address the broad challenges of risk mitigation and operational timeliness for smallholders, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
