Innovative Solution

agriculture, Cambodia, PADAC, rice growing

technical

Cambodian agriculture is characterized by subsistence rice growing, located in the heart of the Cambodian plain around the Mekong/Tonle Sap system. Due to the huge demographic growth, there is a lack of land for rice production and rainfed agriculture expand on neighbouring lands. Nevertheless, due to the lack of accompaniment of this “land rush » the farmers develop unsustainable practices with environmental consequences as hydric erosion, high dependence to climate change and low soils fertility.

The French Development Agency (AFD) introduced the concept of DMC (Direct sowing and Mulch based Cropping Systems) by using permanent plant cover and plowless sowing, in the  component of the small holders hevea cultivation development project, from 2003, then in the PADAC (Project to Support Agricultural Development in Cambodia) in 2008. The first project (amount: 1 million €) was mainly focused on (i) setting up Direct  sowing in Mulch based Cropping Systems (DMC), for rain-fed agriculture (ii) establishing the first components of a system multiplying the seeds and (iii) creating a core of DMC experts in Cambodia in the Kampong Cham region. The PADAC (amount: 2.5 M€) aims to implement the activities in the Kampong Cham Province and in Paili and Battambang provinces. The total area planned is 400 ha and 350 smallholders in 2012. The aim of the project is to contribute to a better-balanced land stewardship through effective, sustainable agricultural development and to also make it accessible to smallholder farmers as much as industrial ones. Therefore the project will support sustainable development of the rain-fed yearly cultivations, using an agroecological approach.  It will be supported by three components (i) support to the contracting authority and to the project management, (ii) implementation, outreach and training activities and (iii) drafting of a large scale outreach programme of DMC techniques.

This solution is actually operated in Cambodia and other South East Asia countries.

This solution had been first supported by AFD in the Hevea Project and developed in the PADAC in 2008.

The Cambodian Research Institution is involved in the implementation of DMC through its agronomic research station of Bos Khnor, managed by DAALI, and in the seeding multiplication system for species and varieties needed for DMC development. Major actors involved are farmers. They will sign a contract with the project and benefit from support and close technical monitoring as well as from financing for agro-inputs. The Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture is also involved in the project’s implementation.

For about ten years, AFD has financed strategic orientation projects to promote the agro-ecology development in South-East, in cooperation with the CIRAD, the only research and development operator which has a specific expertise in this area (projects in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). It contributes to regional and global capitalization, in particular through the Programme of Support for Multi-Country Agri-ecology (PAMPA). These initiatives have in fact created the network CANSEA, Conservation Agriculture Network in South East Asia.

This solution aims to demonstrate that small farmers are capable to implement DMC techniques and reconcile land extension and sustainable practices, mainly focussed on rain water management. These solutions also contribute to a sustainable rainfed agriculture implementation, soil erosion and benefit for increasing yield of food crops (corn, soya and cassava production for small and mid-size farms in Red-soil and Black-soil and rice production on plateaux and sandy terraces).

It is innovating due to the benefit for the water cycle, the modification of soil structure, the micro-organisms development and the mulch production will allow better storage, infiltration and use for plants. The rains frequency is fed variations.

The agricultural producers who apply these practices have increased, and the cultivated areas and yields are more important.

Asian countries or any other countries with erosion issues and poor water control management should be interested in this solution.

• Without security of land tenure, it is hard to justify a long-term preservation of natural resources, • The transition from conventional unsustainable crop production system to the DMC (Direct sowing and Mulch based Cropping Systems)is tricky. Producers have to require knowledge resources, receive a significant technical and financial support to take advantage of positive externalities expected on water resources and food security.

Jean-François CAVANA

Chargé de mission

Agriculture développement Rural Biodiversité - Département du Développement Durable

 Agence française de Développement 

5, rue Roland Barthes

75598 Paris Cedex 12 – France

+ 33.(0)1.53.44.46.00