97691 TEHNICAL WORKING PAPER CAMBODIA OVERVIEW OF A CAMBODIAN SEED SECTOR © 2015 s The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20433 Technical Working Papers are published to communicate the results of The World Bank’s work to the development community with the least possible delay. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permission The material in this publication is copyrighted. Copying or transmitting any of this work without permission may be a violation of applicable law. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank encourages dissemination of its work and will normally grant permission to reproduce portions of the work promptly. • For permission to photocopy or reprint any part of this work, please send a request with complete information to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA, telephone 978-750-8400, fax 978-750-4470, www.copyright.com. • All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e-mail pubrights@worldbank.org. ii TECHNICAL WORKING PAPER CAMBODIA OVERVIEW OF A CAMBODIAN SEED SECORT May 10, 2011 Agriculture Global Practice East Asia and Pacific Region iii Acknowledgments This report was prepared under the guidance of Ms. Mudita Chamroeun (senior rural development specialist, World Bank) and Mr. Paavo Eliste (senior economist, World Bank). This report has been prepared by independent consultants Mr. James Stanelle and Ms. Mak Solieng. Excellent and extensive advice was received from Mr. Brett Ballard (advisor, AusAID) and Mr. Sovith Sin (senior program manager, AusAID). Peer- review comments were provided by Mr. Craig Meisner (sector manager - Research and Extension, Cambodia Agricultural Value Chain Program). The report also benefited from valuable comments from participants in the dissemination workshop held on November 17, 2011 in Phnom Penh Hotel, which was chaired by Mr. Sokhun Rithykhun (acting director general, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry). The participants of the workshop included members of the Government, Development Partners, and private sector in Cambodia. Ms Narya Ou provided excellent assistance in various aspects of the management and administration of the project, and the preparation of the final document. This report was commissioned by World Bank and the AusAID under the Cambodia Food Crisis Capacity Support Partnership (FCCSP) Trust Fund, which is funded by AusAID. The FCCSP is a joint AusAID - World Bank initiative to support Royal Government of Cambodia and stakeholders to address the constraints in smallholder agriculture and social protection that have been identified in the context of the food and financial crises. iv Content   ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................................................IV   CONTENT ........................................................................................................................................... V   ACRONYMS  AND  ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................... VII   EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY............................................................................................................... XXI   1.   INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 1   2.   GOVERNMENT  OVERSIGHT ................................................................................................. 3   2.1.  GENERAL  DIRECTORATE  OF  AGRICULTURE  (GDA) .............................................................................3   2.2.  SEED  LAW ....................................................................................................................................................3   2.3.  PLANT  BREEDERS  RIGHTS.........................................................................................................................4   2.4.  SEED  CERTIFICATION.................................................................................................................................4   2.5.  SEED  REGULATORY  PROGRAMS  AND  TRUTH  IN  LABELING..................................................................7   2.6.  SEED  TESTING  LABORATORY ....................................................................................................................7   2.7.  VARIETY  TESTING  AND  REGISTRATION ..................................................................................................8   2.8.  ANALYSIS  ON  PADDY  PRODUCTION  AND  RICE  EXPORT  POLICY  OF  THE  RGC...................................9   2.8.1.  Action  related  to  seed  legal  framework............................................................................... 10   2.8.2.  Actions  related  to  seed  production  supply.......................................................................... 10   3.   RICE  SEEDS  PRODUCTION  SUPPLY  SYSTEM  IN  CAMBODIA ....................................12   3.1.  RICE  SEED  PRODUCTION  SUPPLY  CHAIN..............................................................................................12   3.1.1.  The  formal  rice  seed  production  system.............................................................................. 12   3.1.2.  The  Community  Based  Rice  Seed  Production  Supply  System ..................................... 23   3.1.3.  The  emergence  of  private  seed  production  supply  system .......................................... 27   3.2.  SEED  PROCESSING ...................................................................................................................................29   3.2.1.  Seed  conditioning .......................................................................................................................... 29   3.2.2.  Seed  storage..................................................................................................................................... 30   3.3.  COST  OF  SEED  PRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................30   3.3.1.  Cost  of  Foundation  seed  production...................................................................................... 31   3.3.2.  Cost  of  Registered  seed  production........................................................................................ 31   3.3.3.  Cost  of  Commercial  seed  production..................................................................................... 32   4.   EXPANSION  SCENARIO  OF  FUTURE  SEED  PRODUCTION  SUPPLY .........................35   4.1.   ANALYSIS  OF  DEMAND  PROJECTIONS  FOR  CERTIFIED/GOOD  SEED ..........................................35            4.2.  ANALYSIS  OF  EXPANSION  POTENTIAL  FOR  MARKET  SUPPLY....................................39   4.2.1.  Baseline  scenario  of  seed  production  supply ..................................................................... 40   4.2.2.  Scenario  One:  Low  expansion  scenario  of  seed  production  supply.......................... 42   4.2.3.  Scenario  Two:  Medium  expansion  scenario  of  seed  production  supply................. 44   4.2.4.  Scenario  Three:  High  expansion  scenario  of  seed  production  supply..................... 45   4.3.  RICE  SEED  PROGRAM ..............................................................................................................................46   4.3.1.  Investment  activities  for  improving  community  seed  access ..................................... 46   4.3.2.  Options  for  establishing  local  (village)  groups  of  certified  CS  Program ............... 51   4.3.3.  Options  how  to  improve  linkages  between  research  and  extension  services ...... 51   5.   VEGETABLE  AND  OTHER  SEED  PRODUCTION  SUPPLY  SYSTEM ...........................53            5.1.  KBAL  KOH  VEGETABLE  RESEARCH  STATION ....................................................................... 53   5.2.  CHAMKAR  LEU  SEED  FARM ...................................................................................................................55   5.3.  VEGETABLE  SEED  SUPPLY  THROUGH  SEED  IMPORTATION ..............................................................56   v 6.   CONCLUSIONS  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................60   6.1.  CONCLUSIONS ..........................................................................................................................................60   6.2.  RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................................................................61   7.   REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................66   8.   ANNEXES ..................................................................................................................................69   ANNEX  1.  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SEED  PRODUCTION  SYSTEM  STUDIED   ...............................................69   ANNEX  2:  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  PRIVATE  SEED  PRODUCERS  STUDIED   ................................................74   ANNEX  3.  ACTIVITIES  AND  COST  BREAKDOWN  FOR  COMMUNITY  BASED  SEED  PRODUCTION   EXTENSION ........................................................................................................................................................76   vi Acronyms and Abbreviations ABK Aphiwad Bandanh Kasekam ADC Agricultural Development Community ADI Agricultural Development Institute AKRR Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung AQIP Agricultural Quality Improvement Program ASOCA Official Seed Certifying Agencies AusAID Australian Agency for International Development BS Breeder seed CARDI Cambodia Agricultural Research and Development Institute CBAPP Community Based Agricultural Productivity Program CEDAC Centre d’Étude et Developement Agriculture du Cambodge CS Commercial seed ECOSORN Economic and Social Rehabilitation in the Northwest Provinces EM Effective microorganisms FA Farmer Association FS Foundation Seed GDA General Directorate of Agriculture GS Graded seed IDE International Development Enterprises IPM Integrated Pest Management IRRI International Rice Research Institute ISTA International Seed Testing Association IVY International Volunteers of Yamagata MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries MMt Million Metric Tons OFAT On-farm varietal trial OECD Economic Cooperation and Development PDA Provincial Department of Agriculture PDE Provincial Department of Extension PUAC Peri-Urban Agriculture Center RLR Rainfed Lowland Rice RS Register seed SGAC Seed Growers Association of Cambodia SNV Netherlands Development Organization SP Service provider(s) UPOV Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants VBNK Vithyieshtan Bandohbandal Neak Aphiwad Kasekam vii សេចក្ដី ស ង្ខេបរួ ម ចាំបាច់ត្រូវតែមានការផ្លាស់ប្ដូរនៅក្នុងឧស្សាហកម្មពូជដំណាំ ដើម្បីបង្កើនផលិតភាពកសិកម្ម និង ដើម្បីសម្រេចគោលដៅនៃការនាំចេញអង្កររបស់រដ្ឋាភិបាល ស្រូវ មិនត្រឹមតែជាដំណាំមួយប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ ប៉ុន្ដែក៏ជាអាហារប្រចាំ នៅកម្ពុជា។ ធាតុ ផ ្ស ំ ចម្បងនៃកម្មវិ ធ ី ព ូ ជ ដំ ណ ាំ ន ៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា គឺ ព ាក់ ព ័ ន ្ធជាមួ យ នឹ ង ស ្រូ វ ។ ពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ ក្នុ ង ស ្រុ ក មួ យ ចំ ន ួ ន មាន ស ារៈស ំ ខ ាន់ ច ំ ព ោ ះស ហ គមន៍ ដែល ត្រូ វ តែរក្ស ាទុ ក ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែស ំ ខ ាន់ ក ៏ ច ាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ ធ្វើ ការកែល ំ អ ពូ ជ ទាំ ង នេះផងដែរ ដើ ម្បី ឱ ្យ ស ្រូ វ កាន់ ត ែមានគុ ណ ភាពល ្អជាងមុ ន ផ្ដល ់ ផ ល ខ្ពស ់ ជ ាងមុ ន ធន់ ន ឹ ង ជំ ង ឺ ឬបញ ្ហ ាបរិ ស ្ថាននានា និ ង មិ ន ត្រូ វ ការធនធានច្រើ នស ម្រាប់ ដ ាំ ដ ុ ះ ។ កស ិ ក រខ្មែរជាច្រើ ន រស ់ ន ៅ កៀ កនឹ ង កម្រិ ត ត្រឹ ម តែចិ ញ ្ចឹ ម ជី វ ិ ត ហ ើ យ ពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ ថ្មី អ ្វី ក ៏ ដ ោ យ បើ ទោ ះបី ជ ាពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ នោ ះនឹ ង ផ្ដល ់ ផ ល ខ្ពស ់ យ ៉ ា ងណ ាក៏ ដ ោ យ អាចត្រូ វ បានគេចាត់ ទ ុ ក ថាជាការគំ រ ាមកំ ហ ែងមួ យ ចំ ព ោ ះកេរ្ដិ ៍ ដ ំ ណ ែល ដែល បន្ស ល ់ ទ ុ ក នៅ ក្នុ ង មូ ល ដ្ឋានរបស ់ ព ួ ក គេ។ ការប្រើពូជដែលមានគុណភាព គឺជាសមាសភាគដ៏សំខាន់មួយ ដើម្បីសម្រេចឱ្យបាននូវ ទិន្នផលទៅតាមសក្ដានុពល និងបង្កើនផលិតភាពកសិកម្ម។ ឧស ្ស ាហ កម្មពូ ជ ស ម័ យ ទំ ន ើ ប រួ ម មាន ការ អភិ វ ឌ្ឍ ប្រភេទពូ ជ ការផល ិ ត គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ ការត្រួ ត ពិ ន ិ ត ្យ និ ង ការកែច្នៃគុ ណ ភាព ការផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ទី ផ ្ស ារ និ ង ការត្រួ ត ពិ ន ិ ត ្យ របស ់ រ ដ្ឋាភិ ប ាល ។ ខណ ៈពេល ដែល វិ ស ័ យ នេះកាន់ ត ែមានភាពចាស ់ ទ ុ ំ ន ៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា កត្ដានី ម ួ យ ៗក្នុ ង ចំ ណ ោ មកត្ដាទាំ ង នេះកាន់ ត ែមានស ារៈស ំ ខ ាន់ និ ង បំ ព េញ តួ ន ាទី ក ាន់ ត ែ ចាំ ប ាច់ នៅ ក្នុ ង កំ ណ ើ នរបស ់ វ ិ ស ័ យ នេះ។ ដោ យ ហ េតុ ថ ាកស ិ ក រ គឺ ជ ាអ្នកប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ព ូ ជ ចុ ង ក្រោ យ ឧស ្ស ាហ កម្មពូ ជ ត្រូ វ តែរៀ បចំ ខ ្ល ួ ន ស ារជាថ្មី ដើ ម្បី អ ាចឆ្ល ើ យ តបកាន់ ត ែប្រស ើ រចំ ព ោ ះស េចក្ដី ត ្រូ វ ការ ជាក់ ល ាក់ និ ង ធ្វើ ការអភិ វ ឌ្ឍ នូ វ ផល ិ ត ផល ដែល នឹ ង ផ្ដល ់ ទ ិ ន ្នផល ខ្ពស ់ និ ង ល ូ ត ល ាស ់ ប ានល ្អ ទៅ តាមល ក្ខខណ ្ឌទី ត ាំ ង ដែល ត្រូ វ ដាំ ដ ុ ះ ។ ចាំបាច់ត្រូវមានការផ្លាស់ប្ដូរប្រព័ន្ធផ្គត់ផ្គង់ផលិតកម្មគ្រាប់ពូច ដើម្បីបំពេញតាមគោលដៅ នៃការនាំចេញរបស់ប្រទេស។ គោ ល ដៅ នាំ ច េញ អង្ករ ១ viii ល ានតោ នរបស ់ រ ដ្ឋាភិ ប ាល ត្រឹ ម ឆ្នាំ ២០១៥ នាំ ឱ ្យ មានបញ ្ហ ាប្រឈ មចំ ព ោ ះកស ិ ក រ ដែល បង្កបង្កើ នផល ស ្រូ វ នៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា។ ជោ គជ័ យ នៃ ការអនុ វ ត្ដ អាស ្រ័ យ ទៅ តាមកិ ច ្ចស ហ ប្រតិ ប ត្ដ ិ ក ារ និ ង កិ ច ្ចខិ ត ខំ ប ្រឹ ង ប្រែងរបស ់ ស ្ថាប័ ន ជាច្រើ នរបស ់ រដ្ឋាភិ ប ាល ។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ មានការស ្រោ ចស ្រពឱ្យ បានពេញ ល េញ ល ើ ផ្ទៃដី ប ង្កបង្កើ នផល ស ្រូ វ ៨០០០០០ ហ ិ ច តា ដើ ម្បី ស ម្រេចគោ ល ដៅ នៃការនាំ ច េញ ប្រកបដោ យ មហ ិ ច ្ឆតានេះបាន។ ការ បង្កើ នល ទ្ធភាពទទួ ល បានការស ្រោ ចស ្រព គឺ ជ ាបុ រ េល ក្ខខណ ្ឌមួ យ ស ម្រាប់ ក ារពង្រី ក ផល ិ ត កម្មគ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ ប្រកបដោ យ គុ ណ ភាព។ ឧស្សាហកម្មពូជនៅកម្ពុជា នៅមានកម្រិតខ្សោយ ដោយមិនមានរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ និងការសម្រប សម្រួលឱ្យបានច្បាស់លាស់ ឧស្សាហកម្មពូជនៅកម្ពុជា នៅមិនទាន់មានរចនាសម្ព័ន្ធផ្លូវការ និងការសម្របសម្រួលរួម នៅឡើយ។ ត្រឹ ម ឆ្នាំ ២០១១ មានរចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធផ្ល ូ វ ការថ្មី ម ួ យ បង្កើ តឡ ើ ងដោ យ វិ ទ ្យ ាស ្ថានស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង អភិ វ ឌ្ឍ ន៍ ក ស ិ ក ម្មកម្ពុ ជ ា ដែល មានតួ ន ាទី អ ភិ វ ឌ្ឍ ន៍ ព ូ ជ ស ្រូ វ ថ្មី ៗ និ ង ផល ិ ត គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ មូ ល ដ្ឋាន ស ម្រាប់ ដ ំ ណ ាំ ស ្រូ វ ។ វិ ទ ្យ ាស ្ថាននេះក៏ ផ ្ដល ់ ក ារបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល អំ ព ី ក ារផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ដល ់ អ ្នកផល ិ តពូ ជ តាមស ហ គមន៍ និ ង ដល ់ ម ្ចាស ់ រ ោ ងម៉ ា ស ៊ ី ន កិ ន ស ្រូ វ ដែល ចាំ ប ាច់ អ ារម្មណ ៍ ក ្នុ ង ការទិ ញ ផល ស ្រូ វ ពី ក ស ិ ក រ ជាបន្ដបន្ទាប់ ។ បណ ្ដាញ មួ យ ទៀ ត ដែល មានទំ ហ ំ ត ូ ច ជាងនេះ ស ម្រាប់ ក ារផល ិ ត និ ង ការបែង ចែកស ្រូ វ ពូ ជ ជាផ្ល ូ វ ការ គឺ ក ្រុ ម ហ ៊ ុ ន ផល ិ ត ពូ ជ AQIP ដែល ជាកម្មស ិ ទ ្ធិ រ បស ់ ក ្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ និ ង ស មាគមអ្នកផល ិ ត គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ នៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា។ មានអ្នកផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ឯកជនខ្នាត តូ ច មួ យ ចំ ន ួ ន តូ ច ស ្ថិ ត ក្រោ មការគ្រប់ គ ្រងផ្ទាល ់ រ បស ់ ក ្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទផងដែរ។ ក្នុងចំណោមផ្ទៃដីស្រែសរុប មានតែ ២០ ភាគរយប៉ុណ្ណោះ ដែលមានការដាំដុះ ដោយ ប្រើប្រាស់គ្រាប់ពូជប្រកបដោយគុណភាព។ ពាក្យ ថា “គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ ប្រកបដោ យ គុ ណ ភាព ” សំដៅលើ ពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ ដែល គេស ្គាល ់ ដែល ត្រូ វ បានផល ិ ត ក្រោ មកម្មវិ ធ ី ផ ល ិ ត ពូ ជ មួ យ ចំ ន ួ ន ។ ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែ ក៏ ម ានកស ិ ក រ ដែល យ ល ់ ព ី អ ត្ថប្រយ ោ ជន៍ ន ៃពូ ជ ដែល មានគុ ណ ភាព ix ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែពុ ំ ម ានល ទ្ធភាពទិ ញ ពូ ជ ទាំ ង នោ ះបាន។ ការបង្កើ នល ទ្ធភាពរបស ់ ស ហ គមន៍ ដើ ម្បី ទ ទួ ល បានពូ ជ ប្រកបដោ យ គុ ណ ភាព ដែល ស មស ្រប ស ម្រាប់ ដ ី ប ង្កបង្កើ នផល ល ក្ខខណ ្ឌដី ។ល ។ គឺ ជ ាវិ ធ ី ស ាស ្ដ្រស ំ ខ ាន់ ជ ាងគេ ដើ ម្បី ប ង្កើ នផល ិ ត ភាព។ គម្លាតរវាងតម្រូវការ និងការផ្គត់ផ្គង់ពូជប្រកបដោយគុណភាព កាន់តែរីកធំទៅៗយ៉ាង ឆាប់រហ័ស។ មានការប៉ ា ន់ ប ្រមាណ ថា តម្រូ វ ការពូ ជ ប្រកបដោ យ គុ ណ ភាពនៅ ល ើ ទី ផ ្ស ា នឹ ង មាន ការកើ នឡ ើ នពី ២៣ ០០០ តោ ន នៅ ក្នុ ង ឆ្នាំ ២០០៩ -២០១០ រហ ូ ត ដល ់ ៣ ៨៥០០ តោ ន ត្រឹ ម ឆ្នាំ ២០១៥ និ ង កើ តរហ ូ ត ដល ់ ៥០០០០ តោ ន ត្រឹ ម ឆ្នាំ ២០២០។ ផ្ទុ យ ទៅ វិ ញ ស ក្ដានុ ព ល នៃការពង្រី ក ការផ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ព ូ ជ នៅ ក្នុ ង រយ ៈពេល ៥ ឆ្នាំ ទ ៀ ត (២០១១ -២០១៥ ) អាចកើ តឡ ើ ងរហ ូ ត ដល ់ ត ្រឹ ម តែ ៨៥០០ តោ នប៉ ុ ណ ្ណ ោ ះ។ នេះមានន័ យ ថា ត្រឹ ម ឆ្នាំ ២០១៥ នឹ ង មានគម្ល ាតប្រមាណ ពី ៣ ០០០០ ដល ់ ៣ ២០០០ តោ ន រវាងការផ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ និ ង តម្រូ វ ការ។ អ្នកផលិតពូជឯកជន និងក្រុមផលិតពូជតាមសហគមន៍ បានលេចចេញជារូបរាងឡើង ជា ការឆ្លើយតបចំពោះការកើនឡើងនូវតម្រូវការពូជប្រកបដោយគុណភាព។ អ្នកផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ទាំ ង ក្នុ ង ប្រព័ ន ្ធផ្ល ូ វ ការ និ ង ប្រព័ ន ្ធក្រៅ ផ្ល ូ វ ការ បានទទួ ល ការបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល ពី CARDI អំ ព ី វ ិ ធ ី ស ាស ្ដ្រផល ិ ត ពូ ជ និ ង យ ល ់ ព ី ភ ាពចាំ ប ាច់ ដើ ម្បី រ ក្ស ាពូ ជ ស ុ ទ ្ធ។ នៅ កម្រិ ត ស ហ គមន៍ វ ិ ញ កស ិ ក រមិ ន ត្រឹ ម តែផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ស ម្រាប់ ក ស ិ ក រផ្ស េងទៀ តប៉ ុ ណ ្ណ ោ ះទេ ពួ ក គេក៏ ប ង្រៀ នស មាជិ ក ស ហ គមន៍ ដ ទៃទៀ តអំ ព ី រ បៀ ប ដាំ ដ ុ ះ ស ្ដុ ក ទុ ក និ ង រក្ស ាពូ ជ ស ម្រាប់ ដ ាំ ដ ុ ះ ដោ យ ខ្ល ួ ន ឯង។ កម្មវិ ធ ី ព ូ ជ តាមភូ ម ិ គឺ ជ ាកម្មវិ ធ ី ដ ែល មាន ប្រស ិ ទ ្ធភាពជាពិ ស េស ដោ យ ស ារតែអ្នកដែល អាចមានតម្រូ វ ការប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ព ូ ជ អាចទៅ ទិ ញ ពូ ជ ពី អ្នកផល ិ ត ពូ ជ និ ង ទៅ ដល ់ ក ន្ល ែងផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ដោ យ ផ្ទាល ់ ។ នៅ ក្នុ ង ករណ ី ម ួ យ ចំ ន ួ ន ក្រុ ម ស ហ គមន៍ ទាំ ង នេះបានស ហ ការជាមួ យ នឹ ង ឈ ្មួ ញ អង្ករ ដើ ម្បី ប ង្កើ តគម្រោ ង និ ង ផល ិ ត ផល ិ ត ផល ដែល មានតម្ល ៃបន្ថែម ស ម្រាប់ ផ ្ដល ់ ដ ល ់ អ ្នកប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ច ុ ង ក្រោ យ ។ មូលធននៅមានកម្រិត និងឧបករណ៍ចាស់ៗហួសសម័យ គឺជាបញ្ហាប្រឈមចម្បងនៃវិស័យពូជ របស់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា x ឧបសគ្គចម្បងៗនៃការផលិត និងផ្គត់ផ្គង់គ្រាប់ពូជនៅកម្ពុជា គឺឱនភាពមូលធន ការធ្វើ ពិពិធកម្មនៅមានកម្រិតទាប និងកង្វះគ្រឿងយន្ដ និងឧបករណ៍បរិក្ខារនានា។ ភាពកំ ហ ិ ត ទាំ ង នេះ បង្ខំ ឱ ្យ អ្នកផ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ប ្រើ ប្រាស ់ ក ម្ល ាំ ង ពល កម្មដែល កាន់ ត ែមានថ្ ល ៃឈ ្នួ ល ខ្ពស ់ ទ ៅ ៗ ដែល មិ ន ឱ្យ អាចឱ្យ ពួ ក គេមានឱកាស ផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ដែល មានគុ ណ ភាពខ្ពស ់ ក្នុ ង តម្ល ៃថោ កបាន។ កង្វះមូ ល ធនស ម្រាប់ ប្រតិ ប ត្ដិ ក ារ គឺ ជ ាឧបស គ្គធ្ងន់ ធ ្ងរជាងគេ ដោ យ ស ារតែវាពន្យ ឺ ត ការអភិ វ ឌ្ឍ និ ង ការបញ ្ចេញ ពូ ជ ថ្មី ៗ ។ ដោ យ ស ារតែធនធាននៅ មានកម្រិ ត CARDI អាចផល ិ ត បានត្រឹ ម តែពូ ជ ស ម្រាប់ ក ារទិ ញ ដែល មាន ការធានាប៉ ុ ណ ្ណ ោ ះ។ នេះនាំ ឱ ្យ គេមិ ន អាចបំ ព េញ តាមការបញ ្ផាទិ ញ បាន នៅ ក្នុ ង ឆ្នាំ ដែល មាន តម្រូ វ ការខ្ពស ់ និ ង នាំ ឱ ្យ មានការខាតបង់ យ ៉ ា ងគំ ហ ៊ ុ ក នៅ ក្នុ ង ឆ្នាំ ដ ែល មិ ន ស ូ វ មានតម្រូ វ ការ នៅ ពេល ដែល គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ ដែល មានតម្ល ៃថ្ល ៃ ត្រូ វ ល ក់ ដើ ម្បី ក ិ ន ជាអង្ករ ដែល នាំ ឱ ្យ មានការខាតបង់ ធ ំ ធ េង។ អាកាសធាតុក្ដៅ ហើយសើមនៅកម្ពុជា ធ្វើឱ្យមានខូចខាតពូជយ៉ាងឆាប់រហ័ស ទាំងនៅ ដំណាក់កាលដាំដុះ និងដំណាក់កាលរក្សាទុក។ ការស ្រាវជ្រាវបង្ហ ាញ ថា កម្រិ ត នៃការចេញ ពន្ល ក របស ់ ស ្រូ វ ធ្ល ាក់ ច ុ ះ ក្រោ ម ៨០ -៨៥ ភាគរយ នៅ ក្នុ ង កំ ឡ ុ ង រយ ៈពេល ៦ -៨ ខែ ក្រោ យ ការប្រមូ ល ផល ។ ដូ ច ្នេះ ពូ ជ ទាំ ង ឡ ាយ ដែល ផល ិ ត ល ើ ស ពី ត ម្រូ វ ការស ម្រាប់ ក ារដាំ ដ ុ ះ ត្រូ វ បានប្រើ ស ម្រាប់ កិ ន ជាអង្ករ។ ចំ ណ ាយ ស ម្រាប់ ក ារផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ទាំ ង នេះ មិ ន អាចស ្ដារមកវិ ញ បានឡ ើ យ ។ នៅ ពេល ដែល អ្នកផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ជួ ប ប្រទះបញ ្ហ ាថវិ ក ា ជារឿ យ ៗ ពួ ក គេគ្រោ ងការផល ិ ត ពូ ជ របស ់ ព ួ ក គេ ផ្អែកទៅ តាមការប៉ ា ន់ ប ្រមាណ បែបអភិ រ ក្ស និ យ មល ើ បរិ ម ាណ គ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ ដែល អាចល ក់ ប ាន ។ ទីផ្សារពូជនៅកម្ពុជា មានលក្ខណៈសមាហរណកម្មចូលគ្នា ក្នុងកម្រិតខ្សោយ។ ព័ ត ៌ ម ានអំ ព ី ពូ ជ និ ង ការប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ព ូ ជ ត្រូ វ បានផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ មិ ន មានប្រស ិ ទ ្ធភាព នៅ ក្នុ ង ស ង្វាក់ ផ ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ទ ាំ ង មូ ល ទាំ ង ក្នុ ង ក្របខ័ ណ ្ឌវិ ស ័ យ ស ាធារណ ៈ និ ង រវាងវិ ស ័ យ ស ាធារណ ៈ និ ង វិ ស ័ យ ឯកជន។ ឈ ្នួ ញ ល ក់ ឧបករណ ៍ ស ម្ភារកស ិ ក ម្ម មិ ន មានព័ ត ៌ ម ានច្រើ ន xi ដើ ម្បី ផ ្ដល ់ ស េវាដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រប្រកបដោ យ ផល ិ ត ភាព ឡើយ ហ ើ យ ក៏ ព ុ ំ ម ានការប្ដេជ្ញ ាចិ ត ្ដ ដើ ម្បី ប ំ ព េញ ទៅ តាមតម្រូ វ ការរបស ់ ក ស ិ ក រនោ ះដែរ។ ប្រព័ន្ធផ្គត់ផ្គង់គ្រាប់ពូជ ក៏នៅខ្វះសង្គតភាពខាងគុណភាព និងការគាំទ្រដល់អតិថិជនផង ដែរ។ ប្រព័ ន ្ធផល ិ ត កម្មស ្រូ វ ប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ស ្រូ វ ដែល ផល ិ ត តាមមូ ល ដ្ឋាន និ ង ដែល ភាគច្រើ ន មិ ន ត្រូ វ បានកែល ំ អ ជាពូ ជ ដោ យ មានគុ ណ ភាពផ្ស េងៗគ្នា ដើ ម្បី ផ ល ិ ត ចេញ ជាដំ ណ ាំ ដោ យ មានទិ ន ្នផល ទាប និ ង គុ ណ ភាពទាប។ ជារឿ យ ៗ កស ិ ក រមិ ន បានទទួ ល ដំ ប ូ ន ្មានល ្អៗខាងផ្នែកក្ស េត្រស ាស ្ដ្រ និ ង ស េវាក្រោ យ ការល ក់ ព ី ត ាមហ ាងនៅ មូ ល ដ្ឋានឡ ើ យ ។ ដូ ច ្នេះ កស ិ ក រជាច្រើ ននាក់ យ កពូ ជ ដែល មាន គុ ណ ភាពទាបមកដាំ ដ ុ ះ ដោ យ មិ ន ប្រើ ជី និ ង បដិ ស េធមិ ន ទិ ញ ផល ិ ត ផល ផ្ស េងទៀ ត។ ច្បាប់ពូជ ត្រូវបានអនុម័ត នៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ ២០០៤។ រចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធដំ ប ូ ង ស ម្រាប់ ក ម្មវិ ធ ី ព ូ ជ ជាតិ ត្រូ វ បានបង្កើ តឡ ើ ង ដោ យ ពុ ំ ម ានវិ ធ ាន និ ង ល ិ ខ ិ ត បទដ្ឋានគតិ យ ុ ត ្ដិ ស ម្រាប់ គ ាំ ទ ្រអនុ វ ត្ដនៅ ឡ ើ យ ហ ើ យ នៅ មិ ន ទាន់ ម ានការបកស ្រាយ ច្បាប់ ន េះស ម្រាប់ ក ារអនុ វ ត្ដនៅ ឡ ើ យ ។ ស ្ដង់ ដ ាជាតិ ខ ាង គុ ណ ភាពរបស ់ ព ូ ជ នៅ មិ ន ទាន់ ត ្រូ វ បានកំ ណ ត់ ក្រោ មច្បាប់ ន េះនៅ ឡ ើ យ ។ អនុសាសន៍អំពីសកម្មភាពគោលនយោបាយ អនុ ស ាស ន៍ ស ម្រាប់ រ ៀ បចំ រ ចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធឧស ្ស ាហ កម្មពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ នៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា រួ ម មានដូ ច ខាង ក្រោ ម ៖ ១. ពង្រឹងការអនុវត្ដច្បាប់ពូជ តាមរយៈការជួយដល់អគ្គនាយកដ្ឋានកសិកម្ម ក្នុងការរៀបចំសេចក្ដីព្រាងវិធាន និងលិខិតបទដ្ឋានសម្រាប់គាំទ្រដល់ការអនុវត្ដច្បាប់ពូជ ប្រទេស កម្ពុ ជ ាបានអនុ ម ័ ត ល ើ ច្បាប់ ព ូ ជ ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែមិ ន ទាន់ ម ានការបកប្រែច្បាប់ ន េះជាភាស ា អង់ គ ្ល េស ឱ្យ បានស មស ្របនៅ ឡ ើ យ ។ ច្បាប់ ន េះតម្រូ វ ឱ្យ មានការបកប្រែជាភាស ាអង់ គ ្ល េស មុ ន ពេល គេអាចធ្វើ ការវាយ តម្ល ៃល ើ ច្បាប់ ន េះឱ្យ បានស មស ្រប។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ មានស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ xii • ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ ជួ ល ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ាបច្ចេកទេស ខាងផ្នែកច្បាប់ និ ង គោ ល គោ ល នយ ោ បាយ ពូ ជ ឱ្យ ធ្វើ ការស ្រាវជ្រាវអំ ព ី ច ្បាប់ ន េះ បកស ្រាយ អត្ថន័ យ របស ់ ច ្បាប់ ន េះចំ ព ោ ះឧស ្ស ាហ កម្មគ្រាប់ ព ូ ជ នៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា ធ្វើ ការពិ គ ្រោ ះយ ោ បល ់ ជ ាមួ យ នឹ ង មន្ដ្រី ក ្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ មន្ដ្រី រ បស ់ វ ិ ទ ្យ ាស ្ថាន CARDI និ ង បុ គ ្គល ិ ក របស ់ ឧ ស ្ស ាហ កម្មពូ ជ និ ង រៀ បចំ វ ិ ធ ាន និ ង ល ិ ខ ិ ត បទដ្ឋានគតិ យ ុ ត ្ដិ ដើ ម្បី គ ាំ ទ ្រដល ់ អ នុ វ ត្ដច្បាប់ ព ូ ជ ។ • ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ានេះគួ រ យ ល ់ ច ្បាស ់ ព ី ក ម្មវិ ធ ី ព ូ ជ នៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស ជិ ត ខាង ដូ ច ជា ប្រទេស ថៃ ជាដើ ម (ដែល ប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ប ្រព័ ន ្ធពូ ជ របស ់ ស ហ រដ្ឋអាមេរិ ច )។ • អគ្គនាយ កដ្ឋានកស ិ ក ម្មត្រូ វ ចាប់ ផ ្ដើ មរៀ បចំ ក ម្មវិ ធ ី ស ិ ទ ្ធិ អ ្ន កបង្កាត់ ព ូ ជ ដំ ណ ាំ ដែល ត្រូ វ មាន ដាក់ ប ញ ្ចូ ល នូ វ ប្បញ ្ញ ត្ដិ ម ួ យ ស ម្រាប់ ឱ ្យ ម្ចាស ់ ព ូ ជ អាចពង្រឹ ង ការអនុ វ ត្ដស ិ ទ ្ធិ រ បស ់ ព ួ ក គេ តាម រយ ៈនី ត ិ វ ិ ធ ី រ ដ្ឋប្បវេណ ី ។ ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែ ការអនុ ម ័ ត ជាក់ ស ្ដែងល ើ វិ ធ ាននេះ និ ង ល ើ ការចូ ល ជា ស មាជិ ក UPOV (ស ហ ព័ ន ្ធអន្ដរជាតិ ក ារពារពូ ជ រុ ក ្ខជាតិ ថ ្មី ៗ ) គឺ ជ ាអ្វី ដ ែល នៅ យ ូ រ ទៀ តទៅ ថ្ងៃមុ ខ ។ • ការបញ ្ផាក់ ព ូ ជ គឺ ជ ាកម្មវិ ធ ី ធ ម្មតា ស ម្រាប់ ត ្រួ ត ពិ ន ិ ត ្យ គុ ណ ភាពនៃពូ ជ ដែល ផល ិ ត នៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស មួ យ ។ ដោ យ ស ារតែការផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ដំ ណ ាំ ក ស ិ ក ម្មបច្ចុ ប ្បន្ន នៅ មានទ្រង់ ទ ្រាយ តូ ច នៅ ឡ ើ យ កម្មវិ ធ ី ប ញ ្ផាក់ គ ុ ណ ភាពពូ ជ នៅ មិ ន ទាន់ ម ាននៅ ឡ ើ យ នាពេល នេះ ហ ើ យ អាច បន្ថែមការិ យ ាធិ ប តេយ ្យ ដោ យ មិ ន ចាំ ប ាច់ ដ ល ់ ប ្រព័ ន ្ធនេះ។ ជាអនុ ស ាស ន៍ គួ រ មាន រចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធផ្ដល ់ ក ារបញ ្ផាក់ ដ ោ យ ស ្ម័ គ ្រចិ ត ្ដមួ យ ជាការបន្ថែមល ើ វិ ធ ាន និ ង ល ិ ខ ិ ត បទដ្ឋាន នានា ដើ ម្បី ឱ ្យ គេអាចប្រើ ការបញ ្ផាក់ ន េះបន្ថែមទៅ តាមការចាំ ប ាច់ ។ ២. បង្កើតស្ដង់ដាគុណភាពពូជថ្នាក់ជាតិ និងបង្កើតមន្ទីរពិសោធន៍សម្រាប់ធ្វើតេស្ដពូជតាមបែបទំនើបមួយដោយ CARDI ដែលនឹងបំពេញមុខងារក្នុងការអនុវត្ដកម្មវិធីបញ្ផាក់គុណភាពពូជ ប្បញ្ញត្ដិកម្មពូជ និងអភិវឌ្ឍពូជ xiii មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ស ម្រាប់ ធ ្វើ តេស ្ដពូ ជ ដែល មានស មត្ថភាពរឹ ង មាំ និ ង ដំ ណ ើ រការបានល ្អ មាន ស ារៈស ំ ខ ាន់ ស ម្រាប់ ស ្វែងយ ល ់ ព ី គ ុ ណ ភាពរបស ់ ព ូ ជ ដែល កំ ព ុ ង ជួ ញ ដូ រ នៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស មួ យ ។ មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ព ូ ជ កម្រិ ត មូ ល ដ្ឋាន ធ្វើ តេស ្ដល ើ ពូ ជ ខាងការដុ ះ ពន្ល កពូ ជ (germination) ភាពស ុ ទ ្ធជាក់ ស ្ដែង និ ង ស ំ ណ ើ មពូ ជ និ ង ស ហ ការជាមួ យ នឹ ង កម្មវិ ធ ី ប ញ ្ផាក់ និ ង ធ្វើ ប្បញ ្ញ ត្ដិ ក ម្មពូ ជ ។ មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ក៏ អ ាចបន្ថែមស េវាផ្ស េងទៀ ត ស ម្រាប់ ព ិ ន ិ ត ្យ ល ើ ភាពគង់ វ ង្ស និ ង ស ក្ដានុ ព ល ក្នុ ង ការរក្ស ាទុ ក ពូ ជ និ ង អាចជួ យ ដល ់ ក ារស ្រាវជ្រាវពូ ជ ផ្ស េងទៀ តផងដែរ។ មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ព ូ ជ គួ រ បង្កើ តឡ ើ ង នៅ ក្នុ ង CARDI។ CAVAC កំ ព ុ ង ពិ ច ារណ ាផ្ដល ់ ថ វិ ក ាដល ់ ក ារបញ ្ចប់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ គ ុ ណ ភាពស ្រូ វ ដែល មានស ្រាប់ ន ៅ ក្នុ ង CARDI។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ មានការអនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • នៅ ពេល ដែល ផែនការគម្រោ ង និ ង ផែនការការងារទទួ ល បានការអនុ ម ័ ត ជាផ្ល ូ វ ការ គួ រ មាន ការជួ ល ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ាខាងពូ ជ ម្នាក់ ដើ ម្បី ជ ួ យ ដល ់ CARDI ក្នុ ង ការធ្វើ ឱ្យ មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ន េះមាន ដំ ណ ើ រការ។ ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ានេះគួ រ ចាប់ ផ ្ដើ មចុ ះ មកប្រទេស កម្ពុ ជ ា នៅ ពេល ដែល គម្រោ ងចាប់ ផ្ដើ មអនុ វ ត្ដ។ • ក្នុ ង កំ ឡ ុ ង ពេល ចុ ះ មកដំ ប ូ ង នេះ ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ានេះគួ រ រៀ បចំ ផ ែនការស កម្មភាពរបស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ស ម្រាប់ ប ញ ្ចប់ ក ាររៀ បចំ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ព ូ ជ វាយ តម្ល ៃល ើ តម្រូ វ ការរបស ់ ឧ ស ្ស ាហ កម្មនេះ និ ង ល ើ ទី ត ាំ ង របស ់ CARDI និ ង ចងក្រងបញ ្ផី ស ម្ភារ និ ង តម្រូ វ ការនៃការបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល ។ ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ា នេះក៏ គ ួ រ ពិ ន ិ ត ្យ ផងដែរល ើ របៀ បដំ ណ ើ រការរបស ់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ន េះ និ ង របៀ បទាក់ ទ ាញ អតិ ថ ិ ជ នឱ្យ ប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ស េវារបស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ។ មកដល ់ ព េល នេះ គួ រ មានការជ្រើ ស រើ ស ប្រធាន និ ង បុ គ ្គល ិ ក របស ់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ន េះឱ្យ ហ ើ យ ហ ើ យ ពួ ក គេត្រូ វ ចាប់ ផ ្ដើ មធ្វើ ការងារជាមួ យ នឹ ង ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ានេះ។ គួ រ មានការវាយ តម្ល ៃល ើ តម្រូ វ ការនៃការបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល នៅ ពេល នេះ។ xiv • បុ គ ្គល ិ ក ត្រូ វ ទទួ ល បានការបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល ដែល អាចស ម្រេចទៅ បាន តាមរយ ៈការបញ ្ផូ ន អ្នកបច្ចេកទ្ស េទៅ កាន់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ដែល កំ ព ុ ង តែដំ ណ ើ រការ (អាចនៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស ថៃ ) ជា ច្រើ នស បា្ដហ ៍ ។ ពួ ក គេគួ រ ត្រឡ ប់ ម កវិ ញ មុ ន ពេល ដែល ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ារូ ប នេះចុ ះ មកជាល ើ កទី ២។ • ត្រូ វ មានការរៀ បចំ ជ ាមួ យ នឹ ង ក្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ ឬស ្ថាប័ ន ផ្ស េង ទៀ ត ដើ ម្បី ផ ្ដល ់ ថ វិ ក ាដល ់ ក ារបន្ដប្រតិ ប ត្ដិ ក ាររបស ់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ព ូ ជ នេះ នៅ ក្នុ ង រយ ៈពេល មួ យ ។ • បញ ្ផាទិ ញ ឧបករណ ៍ ផ ្ស េងទៀ តស ម្រាប់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ព ូ ជ នេះ និ ង រៀ បចំ អ គារ ឬបន្ទប់ ម ន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ដែល ត្រូ វ ស ាងស ង់ ឬរៀ បចំ គ ំ រ ូ ឡ ើ ងវិ ញ ស ម្រាប់ ប ្រើ ប្រាស ់ ក ្នុ ង មន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ។ • បន្ទាប់ ព ី ឧ បករណ ៍ ស ម្ភារនេះមកដល ់ ការរៀ បចំ និ ង ការចាប់ ផ ្ដើ មដំ ណ ើ រការមន្ទី រ ពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ពូ ជ នៅ នឹ ង កន្ល ែងតែម្ដង គួ រ ធ្វើ ឡ ើ ង នៅ កំ ឡ ុ ង ពេល ចុ ះ មកប្រទេស កម្ពុ ជ ាជាល ើ កទី ២ របស ់ ទ ី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ាខាងពូ ជ ដែល នឹ ង ធ្វើ ការជាមួ យ នឹ ង បុ គ ្គល ិ ក មន្ទី រ ពី ស ោ ធន៍ រ យ ៈពេល ពី រ បី ថ ្ងៃ ដើ ម្បី ផ ្ដល ់ ក ារណ ែនាំ ប ច្ចេកទេស និ ង ការគាំ ទ ្រនានាដែល ចាំ ប ាច់ ។ ៣. ផ្ដល់ជំនួយថវិកាដល់ CARDI ដើម្បីបង្កើនការផលិតគ្រាប់ពូជមូលដ្ឋាន និងផ្ដល់នូវឧបករណ៍ សម្ភារមួយចំនួន ដើម្បីធ្វើឱ្យកម្មវិធីផលិត និងស្រាវជ្រាវពូជរបស់វិទ្យាស្ថាននេះកាន់តែមាន ប្រសិទ្ធភាព និងមិនសូវពឹងអាស្រ័យលើកម្លាំងពលកម្មដែលធ្វើការងារដោយដៃ • CARDI ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ ពង្រី ក ស មត្ថភាពស ្រាវជ្រាវរបស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ដើ ម្បី ឈ ានទៅ កែល ំ អ ពូ ជ ដែល ស មស ្របស ម្រាប់ ត ម្រូ វ ការផ្ស េងៗ ក្រៅ តែពី អ ង្ករដែល មានគុ ណ ភាពខ្ពស ់ ។ ពូ ជ ដែល ស មស ្របស ម្រាប់ គ ោ ល បំ ណ ងចិ ញ ្ចឹ ម ជី វ ិ ត និ ង ដែល អាចបន្ស ៊ ា ំ ទ ៅ នឹ ង ល ក្ខខណ ្ឌអាកាស ធាតុ និ ង ល ក្ខខណ ្ឌនៅ មូ ល ដ្ឋានខុ ស ៗគ្នា កំ ព ុ ង តែមានតម្រូ វ ការយ ៉ ា ងខ្ពស ់ (៧៩០០០ តោ ន )។ • CARDI ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ បង្កើ តទំ ន ាក់ ទ ំ ន ងឱ្យ បានល ្អ និ ង ត្រូ វ ធ្វើ ការងារជាមួ យ នឹ ង អ្នកពាក់ ព ័ ន ្ធ ខាងពូ ជ ឱ្យ បានច្រើ ន xv ទាំ ង អ្នកដែល មានរចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធត្រឹ ម ត្រូ វ ផង និ ង អ្នកដែល មិ ន ទាន់ ម ាន រចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធផង ជាពិ ស េស ស ្ថាប័ ន ឯកជន និ ង ស ្ថាប័ ន រដ្ឋ ជាពិ ស េស ស ្ថាប័ ន ខ្នាតធំ និ ង ខ្នាតមធ្យ ម ដើ ម្បី ធ ានាយ ៉ ា ងណ ាឱ្យ ប្រតិ ប ត្ដិ ក ារបច្ចេកទេស នានាមានតម្ល ាភាព ស ម្រាប់ ធ ានាគុ ណ ភាពពូ ជ ដោ យ ស ារតែស ្ថាប័ ន ទាំ ង នេះក៏ ប ្រើ ប្រាស ់ ព ូ ជ ពី CARDI ផងដែរ។ • ការគាំ ទ ្រដល ់ ក ារផល ិ ត ពូ ជ របស ់ CARDI មានន័ យ ថា នឹ ង មានពូ ជ កាន់ ត ែច្រើ នជាងមុ ន ស ម្រាប់ ក ស ិ ក រ ហ ើ យ គេអាចទទួ ល បានប្រាក់ ច ំ ណ េញ មកវិ ញ ច្រើ នពី ក ារផល ិ ត ពូ ជ CS។ (ពូ ជ មូ ល ដ្ឋាន ១ គី ឡ ូ អាចនាំ ឱ ្យ បានប្រាក់ ច ំ ណ េញ ប្រមាណ ជា ៧០០ ដុ ល ្ល ារ )។ ៤. បង្កើនការវិនិយោគលើការស្រាវជ្រាវកសិកម្ម ដើម្បីពង្រឹងទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងសេវាស្រាវជ្រាវ និងសេវាផ្សព្វផ្សាយ ដោយសារតែសេវាទាំងពីរនេះច្រើនតែធ្វើការងារដោយឡែកពីគ្នា ការវិ ន ិ យ ោ គនេះនាំ ឱ ្យ អ្នកស ្រាវជ្រាវអាចបង្កើ តបច្ចេកវិ ទ ្យ ា ឬពូ ជ ថ្មី ៗ ស ម្រាប់ ភ ្នាក់ ង ារផ្ស ព្វ ផ្ស ាយ ដែល អាចមិ ន យ ល ់ ឬពុ ំ ច េះយ កបច្ចេកវិ ទ ្យ ាទាំ ង នេះមកអនុ វ ត្ដនៅ ក្នុ ង ស ្ថានភាពជាក់ ស ្ដែង ក្នុ ង កស ិ ដ ្ឋានបាន។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ អនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • រៀ បចំ ផ ែនទី ប ង្ហ ាញ ផ្ល ូ វ អំ ព ី ស មាហ រណ កម្មការស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង ការផ្ស ពផ្ស ាយ ជាមួ យ គ្នា ដែល បង្ហ ាញ ពី ទ ស ្ស នទាន និ ង ក្របខ័ ណ ្ឌអំ ព ី ស មាហ រណ កម្ម តួ ន ាទី និ ង ការប្ដេជ្ញ ាចិ ត ្ដរបស ់ ស េវានី ម ួ យ ៗ និ ង អភិ ក ្រមការងារ។ • មន្ដ្រី ផ ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ មួ យ ចំ ន ួ ន គួ រ ចាត់ ត ាំ ង ឱ្យ ចូ ល រួ ម នៅ ក្នុ ង ការងារស ្រាវជ្រាវរបស ់ CARDI-OFAT ហ ើ យ អ្នកស ្រាវជ្រាវរបស ់ CARDI គួ រ ត្រូ វ បានចាត់ ត ាំ ង ឱ្យ ចូ ល រួ ម នៅ ក្នុ ង ស កម្មភាពផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ផងដែរ។ ការចូ ល រួ ម នេះគួ រ ធ្វើ ឡ ើ ង ស ម្រាប់ គ ្រប់ ក ម្មវិ ធ ី ស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង ផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ទាំ ង អស ់ ហ ើ យ ស កម្មភាពទាំ ង នេះគួ រ ដាក់ ប ញ ្ចូ ល ទៅ ក្នុ ង ផែនការ ស កម្មភាព។ តាមរយ ៈការធ្វើ បែបនេះ បញ ្ហ ានានា xvi ដែល ពាក់ ព ័ ន ្ធជាមួ យ នឹ ង ព័ ត ៌ ម ាន និ ង បច្ចេកវិ ទ ្យ ា ក៏ ដ ូ ច ជាដំ ណ ើ រការស ្រាវជ្រាវ -ផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ដែល មាន អាចធ្វើ ឡ ើ ងបានទាន់ ពេល វេល ា និ ង ប្រកបដោ យ ប្រស ិ ទ ្ធភាព។ • នៅ ក្នុ ង ការរៀ បចំ ស ំ ណ ើ គម្រោ ងស ្រាវជ្រាវ CARDI ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ មានស មាស ភាគមួ យ ស ម្រាប់ ធ ្វើ ការផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ល ទ្ធផល នៃការស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង ធ្វើ ការស ិ ក ្ស ាថាតើ ល ទ្ធផល ដែល ទទួ ល បានពី ក ារស ្រាវជ្រាវនេះគួ រ យ កទៅ អនុ វ ត្ដ នៅ ក្នុ ង ស ្ថានភាពជាក់ ស ្ដែងក្នុ ង កស ិ ដ ្ឋាន ដោ យ របៀ បណ ា។ ភ្នាក់ ង ារផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ អាចចូ ល រួ ម នៅ ក្នុ ង ស មាស ភាគនេះ ចាប់ ព ី ព េល ចាប់ ផ ្ដើ មធ្វើ ការស ្រាវជ្រាវដំ ប ូ ង ។ ពួ ក គេមិ ន គួ រ រង់ ច ាំ រ ហ ូ ត ដល ់ ព េល ល ទ្ធផល ទៅ ហ ើ យនោ ះទេ ដោ យ ស ារតែវាយ ឺ ត ពេក ដើ ម្បី រ ៀ បចំ ន ូ វ វិ ធ ី ស ាស ្ដ្រ ស ម្រាប់ ធ ្វើ ការផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ។ • នៅ ក្នុ ង កម្មវិ ធ ី ព ូ ជ វិ ទ ្យ ាស ្ថាន CARDI មន្ទី រ កស ិ ក ម្ម និ ង មន្ដ្រី ផ ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ នៅ ថ្នាក់ ខ េត្ដ មាន ឱកាស ស ហ ការគ្នា ដើ ម្បី អ នុ វ ត្ដគម្រោ ងស ្រាវជ្រាវ -ផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ រួ ម គ្នា អំ ព ី ប ច្ចេកទេស ផល ិ ត ពូ ជ តាមស ហ គមន៍ ។ តាមរយ ៈដំ ណ ើ រការល ើ កកម្ពស ់ ក ារផល ិ ត និ ង ការផ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ព ូ ជ តាម ស ហ គមន៍ អ្នកស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង ភ្នាក់ ង ារផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ អាចស ្វែងរកល ទ្ធភាព ដើ ម្បី ភ ្ផាប់ ទ ំ ន ាក់ ទំ ន ងរវាងស េវាស ្រាវជ្រាវ និ ង ស េវាផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ នានា។ ៥. ផ្ដល់ការបណ្ដុះបណ្ដាល និងបង្កើតបណ្ដាញអ្នកលក់ដូរធនធានកសិកម្ម ដើម្បីឱ្យវិស័យឯកជន អាចផ្ដល់សេវាផ្សព្វផ្សាយបន្ថែមទៀត ដល់កសិករខ្មែរ កស ិ ក រ ដែល បង្កបង្កើ នផល ស ្រូ វ និ ង បន្ល ែ ដែល ទិ ញ ពូ ជ និ ង /ឬធនធានផ្ស េងទៀ ត កំ ព ុ ង ទទួ ល បានផល ិ ត ភាពក្នុ ង គុ ណ ភាពខុ ស ៗគ្នា ដោ យ ពុ ំ ម ានស េវាប្រឹ ក ្ស ាត្រឹ ម ត្រូ វ ។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ អនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • បង្កើ តបណ ្ដាញ អ្នកល ក់ ដ ូ រ ធនធានកស ិ ក ម្មក្នុ ង វិ ស ័ យ ឯកជន ដែល បានទទួ ល ការបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល អំ ព ី ក ារប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ព ូ ជ ជី ថ្នាំ ក ស ិ ក ម្ម ជាងជួ ស ជុ ល គ្រឿ ងយ ន្ដ និ ង អ្នកដែល បង្ហ ាញ ពី ផ ល ិ ត ផល របស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ដល ់ អ តិ ថ ិ ជ នស ក្ដានុ ព ល ។ xvii ប្រើ ប្រាស ់ អ ្នកល ក់ ដ ូ រ ទាំ ង នេះ ជាស េវាផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ បន្ថែមពី ខ ាងវិ ស ័ យ ឯកជន ដែល ត្រូ វ ផ្ដល ់ ក ្រោ យ ពេល ល ក់ ផ ល ិ ត ផល រួ ច ដើ ម្បី ជ ួ យ និ ង រក្ស ាអតិ ថ ិ ជ ន។ • ល ើ កទឹ ក ចិ ត ្ដឱ្យ មានការបង្កើ តស មាគម /បណ ្ដាញ វិ ជ ្ផាជី វ ៈ ដែល អ្នកល ក់ ដ ូ រ ធនធានកស ិ ក ម្ម ដែល ចូ ល រួ ម អាចប្រើ ប្រាស ់ អ ំ ណ ាចក្រុ ម របស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ដើ ម្បី ជ ួ យ ដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រ និ ង មានឥទ្ធិ ព ល ល ើ អ្នកតាក់ ត ែងគោ ល នយ ោ បាយ ។ នៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស កម្ពុ ជ ា IDE បានបង្កើ តនូ វ បណ ្ដាញ ស ហ គ្រាស អាជី វ កម្មកស ិ ដ ្ឋាន (FBE) ស ម្រាប់ អ ្នកដាំ ប ន្ល ែ។ នៅ កម្រិ ត អន្ដរជាតិ IFDC និ ង CNFA គឺ ជ ាអង្គការមិ ន មែនរដ្ឋាភិ ប ាល ចំ ន ួ ន ពី រ ដែល បានប្រើ ប្រាស ់ គ ំ រ ូ ន េះ នៅ ក្នុ ង ប្រទេស ផ្ស េងទៀ ត។ ៦. បង្កើនការយល់ដឹងអំពីពូជដែលបានកែលំអ និងគ្រាប់ពូជដែលមានគុណភាពល្អ ជាកត្ដាសំខាន់ សម្រាប់កែលំអផលដំណាំ គាំ ទ ្រ និ ង ជម្រុ ញ ល ើ កកម្ពស ់ ស កម្មភាពបណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល កស ិ ក រ /អ្នកផល ិ ត ពូ ជ ដែល ធ្វើ ឡ ើ ង ដោ យ CARDI និ ង ស ្ថាប័ ន ស មស ្របដទៃទៀ ត។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ អនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • ជួ យ និ ង ពង្រី ក កម្មវិ ធ ី ប ណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល និ ង អភិ វ ឌ្ឍ ន៍ ប ច្ចុ ប ្បន្នរបស ់ CARDI ដើ ម្បី ជ ួ យ ដល ់ កស ិ ក រនៅ តាមស ហ គមន៍ ដូ ច ជា (i) ការបន្ស ុ ទ ្ធ ការផល ិ ត និ ង ការរក្ស ាពូ ជ ក្នុ ង ស ្រុ ក និ ង (ii) ការដាំ ការរក្ស ា និ ង ការបែងចែកពូ ជ ដែល បញ ្ចេញ ដោ យ CARDI តាមរយ ៈ OFAT។ • កម្មវិ ធ ី ដ ទៃទៀ ត នៅ កម្ពុ ជ ា ដូ ច ជា CEDAC (មជ្ឈ មណ ្ឌល ស ិ ក ្ស ា និ ង អភិ វ ឌ្ឍ ន៍ ក ស ិ ក ម្ម កម្ពុ ជ ា ) មានគោ ល បំ ណ ងផ្ដោ តល ើ ការផល ិ ត ពូ ជ តាមស ហ គមន៍ ដើ ម្បី ប ន្ថែមតម្ល ៃដល ់ អ ង្ករស រី រ ាង្គ។ គេអាចផ្ដល ់ ក ារគាំ ទ ្រដល ់ ក ម្មវិ ធ ី ទ ាំ ង នេះ។ ជម្រើ ស មួ យ ទៀ តគឺ គ េអាច រៀ បចំ ន ូ វ កម្មវិ ធ ី ផ ល ិ ត ពូ ជ /បន្ថែមតម្ល ៃទៅ តាមស ហ គមន៍ ដែល អាចល ក់ ផ ល ិ ត ផល អង្ករក្នុ ង ស ្រុ ក ដោ យ ផ្ទាល ់ ទ ៅ កាន់ អ តិ ថ ិ ជ ន xviii ដែល ផ្ដល ់ ឱ ្យ កស ិ ក រនូ វ ចំ ណ ូ ល កាន់ ត ែច្រើ នជាងមុ ន ស ម្រាប់ ផ ល ិ ត ផល របស ់ ព ួ ក គេ។ ៧. ជម្រុញសមាហរណកម្មឧស្សាហកម្មពូជ តាមរយៈការពង្រឹងទំនាក់ទំនងនៅក្នុងវិស័យ សាធារណៈ និងទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងវិស័យសាធារណៈ និងវិស័យឯកជន ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ មានការធ្វើ ការងារ ដើ ម្បី ក ំ ណ ត់ រ កអ្នកដែល មានតួ ន ាទី ស ំ ខ ាន់ ៗ និ ង ណ ែនាំ ពួ ក គេឱ្យ ស ្គាល ់ គ ្នាទៅ វិ ញ ទៅ មក និ ង ធ្វើ ការស ម្របស ម្រួ ល កិ ច ្ចខិ ត ខំ ប ្រឹ ង ប្រែងនានា។ នេះក៏ រ ាប់ ប ញ ្ចូ ល ការធ្វើ តេស ្ដពូ ជ ស ្រូ វ នៅ នឹ ង កស ិ ដ ្ឋានជាក់ ស ្ដែង ការអនុ វ ត្ដបង្ហ ាញ និ ង ការរៀ បចំ ទ ស ្ស នកិ ច ្ចជាក់ ស ្ដែង មិ ន ត្រឹ ម តែស ម្រាប់ ក ស ិ ក រប៉ ុ ណ ្ណ ោ ះទេ ប៉ ុ ន ្ដែថែមទាំ ង ដើ ម្បី ឱ ្យ មានការស ហ ការគ្នារវាងតួ អ ង្គស ំ ខ ាន់ ៗ ដែល ធ្វើ ការងារពាក់ ព ័ ន ្ធនឹ ង អង្ករផង។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ អនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • CAVAC គឺ ជ ាគម្រោ ងមួ យ ដែល ធ្វើ ការងារខាងការផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ និ ង ការល ើ កកម្ពស ់ ស ង្វាក់ ផ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ហ ើ យ មានល ទ្ធភាពអាចឱ្យ គេរៀ បចំ ក ារស ម្របស ម្រួ ល ការងារផ្ស ព ្វផ្ស ាយ និ ង ការ បណ ្ដុ ះ បណ ្ដាល ជាមួ យ CAVAC ក៏ ដ ូ ច ជាមួ យ នឹ ង អង្គការស ្ថាប័ ន ផ្ស េងទៀ ត។ កម្មវិ ធ ី ន េះ គួ រ ស ហ ការជាមួ យ នឹ ង ក្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ CARDI និ ង នាយ កដ្ឋាន ផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ ដើ ម្បី ធ ្វើ ការងាររួ ម គ្នា ដើ ម្បី ស ម្របស ម្រួ ល ស កម្មភាពផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ នៅ ក្នុ ង ស ង្វាក់ ផ ្គត់ ផ ្គង់ ទ ាំ ង មូ ល ។ • ជួ ល ទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ាម្នាក់ ដែល មានបទពិ ស ោ ធន៍ ច ្រើ នខាងការធ្វើ តេស ្ដដំ ណ ាំ ការបង្ហ ាញ នៅ នឹ ង កស ិ ដ ្ឋានជាក់ ស ្ដែង ការជួ ប ប្រជុ ំ ជ ាមួ យ នឹ ង កស ិ ក រ និ ង ការរៀ បចំ ទ ស ្ស នកិ ច ្ចទៅ ទី វ ាល ជាក់ ស ្ដែង ដើ ម្បី ធ ្វើ ការងារជាមួ យ នឹ ង ក្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ CARDI នាយ កដ្ឋានផ្ស ព្វផ្ស ាយ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានផល ិ ត ពូ ជ និ ង មន្ទី រ កស ិ ក ម្ម ដើ ម្បី ស ្វែងរកព័ ត ៌ ម ានពាក់ ព ័ ន ្ធ xix ដែល អាចបង្ហ ាញ ដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រអំ ព ី ជ ម្រើ ស ពូ ជ និ ង ធនធានដែល ពួ ក គេត្រូ វ យ កទៅ ប្រើ ប្រាស ់ ។ • ផ្ដល ់ ថ វិ ក ាដល ់ CARDI ដើ ម្បី ព ង្រី ក ការធ្វើ តេស ្ដស ាកល ្បង និ ង កន្ល ែងស ម្រាប់ ប ង្ហ ាញ ដល ់ កស ិ ក រ នៅ ក្នុ ង តំ ប ន់ ប ង្កបង្កើ នផល ស ្រូ វ របស ់ ប ្រទេស ។ ៨. លើកកម្ពស់សមត្ថភាព និងការគ្រប់គ្រងកសិដ្ឋានផលិតពូជ ដូចជា ពូជស្រូវ ពូជបន្លែ និងពូជ ធញ្ញជាតិផ្សេងទៀត នៅថ្នាក់សហគមន៍ ការគ្រប់ គ ្រងជាច្រើ នល ើ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះ មានប្រភពចេញ ពី ក ្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទដោ យ ផ្ទាល ់ ។ គេជឿ ថា ការគ្រប់ គ ្រងនៅ មូ ល ដ្ឋានកាន់ ត ែច្រើ នជាងនេះ នឹ ង រួ ម ចំ ណ ែក បង្កើ នប្រស ិ ទ ្ធភាពរបស ់ ប ្រតិ ប ត្ដិ ក ារ ក៏ ដ ូ ច ជាបង្កើ នផល ិ ត ភាព។ ការគ្រប់ គ ្រងផ្ទាល ់ ន ៅ មូ ល ដ្ឋានល ើ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះ អាចជួ យ ឱ្យ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានផល ិ ត ពូ ជ អាចផ្ដល ់ ស េវាដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រដែល ជាអ្នកទិ ញ ពូ ជ កាន់ ត ែប្រស ើ រជាងមុ ន ជាមួ យ នឹ ង ពូ ជ ដែល មានគុ ណ ភាពខ្ពស ់ និ ង ព័ ត ៌ ម ានកាន់ ត ែប្រស ើ រជាងមុ ន ។ ចាំ ប ាច់ ត ្រូ វ អនុ វ ត្ដស កម្មភាព ដូ ច ខាងក្រោ ម ៖ • វាយ តម្ល ៃល ើ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានផល ិ ត ពូ ជ របស ់ ក ្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ខ រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ និ ង នៅ ក្នុ ង ករណ ី ស មស ្រប រៀ បចំ រ ចនាស ម្ព័ ន ្ធកស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះឡ ើ ងវិ ញ ដើ ម្បី ឱ ្យ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះ ផ្ដល ់ ស េវាកាន់ ត ែប្រស ើ រដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រដែល ជាអតិ ថ ិ ជ នរបស ់ ខ ្ល ួ ន ។ • ស រស េរផែនការអាជី វ កម្ម ស ម្រាប់ ក ស ិ ដ ្ឋាន ដែល ផ្ដល ់ ស េវា និ ង ផល ិ ត ផល កាន់ ត ែច្រើ នដល ់ ក ស ិ ក រនៅ មូ ល ដ្ឋាន និ ង ផ្ដល ់ ឱ ្យ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះនូ វ មូ ល ដ្ឋានហ ិ រ ញ ្ញ វត្ថុ ។ ផែនការ នេះ ត្រូ វ ពិ ន ិ ត ្យ ល ើ គ្រប់ ទ ិ ដ ្ឋភាពទាំ ង អស ់ ន ៃប្រតិ ប ត្ដិ ក ាររបស ់ ក ស ិ ដ ្ឋា ន និ ង ត្រូ វ កំ ណ ត់ ព ី ផ ្នែក ដែល ផ្ដល ់ ន ូ វ ប្រាក់ ច ំ ណ េញ ដើ ម្បី ឱ ្យ កស ិ ដ ្ឋានទាំ ង នេះកាន់ ត ែទទួ ល បានជោ គជ័ យ ។ នេះទំ ន ង ជានឹ ង ត្រូ វ មានការដាក់ ប ញ ្ចូ ល ចំ ណ ាយ ផ្ស េងៗ ដែល ត្រូ វ ទូ ទ ាត់ ទ ៅ ឱ្យ ក្រស ួ ង កស ិ ក ម្ម រុ ក ្ខាប្រមាញ ់ និ ង នេស ាទ។ គួ រ មានទី ប ្រឹ ក ្ស ាក្នុ ង ស ្រុ ក ដើ ម្បី ជ ួ យ ដល ់ ដ ំ ណ ើ រការនេះ។ xx Executive Summary Changes in seed industry are needed to increase agricultural productivity and meet the government’s rice export targets Rice is not just a crop but also the staple food in Cambodia. A major thrust of the seed program in Cambodia involves rice. Some local rice varieties are important to communities and must be maintained, but it is crucial that they are also improved for better grain quality, higher yields, resistance to diseases or environmental stresses, and less farm input requirement. Many Khmer farmers live near the subsistence level and any new rice variety, even if it promises higher yields, could be seen as a threat to their local heritage. The use of quality seeds is a main component for realizing the yield potential and increasing agricultural productivity. A modern seed industry contains a variety development, seed production, quality control and processing, marketing and governmental oversight. As the sector matures in Cambodia, each of these factors becomes more important and plays a more prominent role in the growth if the agricultural sector. As farmer is the final user of seed, the seed industry has to reshape itself to better respond to the specific needs and develop products, which will yield well and thrive in the conditions where they will be planted. Changes in the seed production supply system are required to meet country’s export targets. The government’s target to export 1 million tons of milled rice by 2015 poses challenges for Cambodian rice farmers. Successful implementation depends on the cooperation and efforts of several government agencies. Full irrigation of ca 800,000 ha of rice-cultivated area is required to meet this ambitious export target. Improved access to irrigation is prerequisite for expanded production quality seed. Cambodia’s seed industry is weak without clear structure and coordination The seed industry in Cambodia lacks any official structure and overall coordination. As of 2011, there is a fledgling formal structure by the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), which develops new rice varieties and produces foundation seeds for rice. The institute also provides seed production trainings to community seed producers as well as rice millers, who are interested in buying consistent rice products from farmers. Another smaller network for formal rice seed production and distribution is AQIP Seed Company, which is owned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Seed Growers Association of Cambodia. There are also a few small-scale private producers, who work directly under MAFF. xxi Only 20 percent of total rice land is cultivated using quality seed. The term “quality seed” refers to known varieties, which are produced under some type of seed production program. There are farmers, however, who understand the benefits of quality seed but cannot afford to buy it. Improving community access to quality seed suitable for their plantation area, land conditions etc, is one of the most essential methods to increase productivity. There is a fast-growing gap between the demand and supply of quality seed. It is estimated that the market demand for quality seed will grow from 23,000 metric ton (Mt) in 2009-2010 to 38,500 Mt by 2015, and it will top 50,000 Mt by 2020. In the contrast, the potential expansion of the seed supply within the next five years (2011- 2015) could reach about only 8,500 Mt. This means by 2015, there is going to be a gap of some 30,000 - 32,000 Mt between supply and demand. Private seed producers and community based seed production groups have emerged as a response to increased demand for quality seed. The seed growers involved in both the formal and informal systems have been trained by CARDI in seed production methods and understand the need to maintain pure seed lines. At the community levels, farmers don’t only produce seed for other farmers but also teach other community members how to grow, store, and maintain their own planting stock. Village seed programs are especially effective because potential seed users have direct access to the seed grower and seed fields. In some cases, these community groups have worked with rice traders to create projects and produce a value added product directly to the final consumer. Limited capital and outdated equipment are main challenges of the Cambodia’s seed sector The main constraints of the seed production supply in Cambodia are a capital deficit, low diversification, and a lack of mechanized equipment and facilities. These limitations force suppliers to use increasingly expensive hand labor, which evades opportunities for higher quality seed production at a cheaper price. A lack of operational capital is the most serious constraint as it greatly slows down the new variety development and release. Due to limited resources, CARDI can produce only seeds for guaranteed purchases. This has resulted in unfilled orders during the high demand years and in sharp losses in the poor years, when expensive supply seed has to be sold for milling at a great loss. Cambodia’s hot and humid climate rapidly deteriorates seeds both in growth and storage phases. Research shows that the level of rice germination falls below 80- 85 percent within 6-8 months after harvest. Therefore, any seed produced beyond immediate planting needs is used for milling. Production costs of these seeds cannot be recouped. When seed producers’ budgets are constrained, they often plan their seed production based on conservative seed sales estimates. xxii Cambodia’s seed market is weakly integrated. Information about seeds and seed use is ineffectively communicated through the value chain, within the public sector and between public and private sectors. Agro-input dealers are often ill equipped to serve farmers in a productive manner and aren’t committed to servicing the farmer’s needs. Seed supply system also lacks consistency in quality and customer support. The rice production system uses locally produced and mostly unimproved grain as seed with variable quality to produce a crop with lower yields and poor quality. Farmers often fail to receive sound agronomic advice and post-sale services from local shops. Therefore, many farmers plant low quality seed without fertilizers and refuse to buy other products. The National Seed Law was passed in 2004 already. The raw structure for the national seed program has been established, but without its accompanying Rules and Regulations, the operational interpretation does not yet exist. No national seed quality standards have yet been developed under the law. Recommendations for policy actions Recommendations for structuring the rice seed industry in Cambodia include the following: 1. Enforce the implementation of the seed law by assisting the General Directorate of Agriculture in drafting the Rules and Regulations of the Seed Law. Cambodia has passed a seed law but an appropriate English translation of the law does not exist yet. The law will require a proper English translation before it can be assessed appropriately. The following actions are needed: • An expert consultant on seed law and policy will have to be hired to research the law; interpret its meaning for the Cambodian seed industry; consult with MAFF, CARDI, and seed industry officials; and write the Rules and Regulations to accompany the Seed Law. • It is strongly recommended that the consultant be familiar with the seed programs in neighboring countries like Thailand (which is based on the United States seed system) • The General Directorate of Agriculture has to begin putting together a program of plant breeders’ rights that will include a provision for variety owners to enforce their rights through civil proceedings. However, actual enactment of that rule and UPOV (the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) membership is still a distance into the future. xxiii • Seed certification is the normal program for seed production quality control in a country. Because of the current small-scale agricultural seed production, a seed certification program is not warranted at this time and would possibly add unneeded bureaucracy to the system. It is recommended that the structure of a voluntary certification be added to the rules and regulations so that it can be added as needed. 2. Develop a national seed quality standard and establish a modern seed-testing laboratory by CARDI that will function in seed certification, regulation, and variety development programs. A strong and functional seed-testing laboratory is essential to understanding the quality of the seed being traded in a country. Basic seed laboratories test seed for germination, physical purity, and seed moisture and work in conjunction with seed certification and seed regulatory programs. Labs can also add further services that look at viability and storage potential of seed and can aid in other seed research as well. A seed laboratory should be established and placed at CARDI. CAVAC is considering the funding of the completion of an existing rice quality laboratory at CARDI. The following actions are needed: • As soon as the project and work plan are officially approved, a seed consultant should be contracted to assist CARDI in making the lab functional. The consultant should make his initial visit as the project implementation starts. • During this initial visit, the consultant should prepare his action plan for the complete seed lab establishment, assess the industry needs and the CARDI location, and compile a list of equipment and training needs. The consultant should also look at how the lab will function and solicit business. At this point, the laboratory director and staff should already be selected and have begun working with the consultant. Their training needs should also be assessed at this time. • Staff will have to be trained, which can be accomplished by sending the technicians to a functioning lab (possibly Thailand) for a number of weeks of training. They should be scheduled to return back before the second visit of the consultant. • Arrangements will have to be with MAFF or other agencies to fund the on- going operation of the seed laboratory over time. • Order seed laboratory equipment and arrange for the laboratory building or rooms to be built or remodeled for lab use. • After the equipment arrives, an on-site set-up and start-up of the seed lab should be done in the second visit by the seed consultant, who will work with the lab staff for a few days in order to provide the necessary technical orientation and support needed. 3. Provide CARDI with budgetary assistance for increased production of Foundation seed and supply them with some equipment that would make their seed production and research programs more efficient and less dependent on manual labor. xxiv • CARDI needs to expand its research capacity toward improved varieties that are suitable to different needs beside premium rice. The varieties that are well suited for subsistence purposes and that are adaptable to varied climate and field conditions are in high demand (79,000 Mt) • CARDI needs to establish good links and to work with many seed stakeholders including structural and non-structural, particularly large and medium scale, private, and state institutions to ensure a transparent technical operation for seed quality assurance as they are using seed sources from CARDI. • Support to CARDI’s seed production would mean that greater amounts of seed would be available to rice farmers and significant returns could be generated in CS production (Each kg of FS planted could generate around $700 profit). 3. Increase investments in agricultural research to strengthen linkages between research and extension services, as they tend to work separately. This results in researchers generating technologies and new varieties for the extension workers who may not understand or be able to apply these technologies in the real farm conditions. The following actions are needed: • Develop a roadmap for research and extension integration, which provides concept and framework of integration, their respective roles and commitments, and the working approach. • Some extension officers should be assigned to join the CARDI-OFAT research activities and CARDI’s researchers should be assigned to join the extension activities as well. This participation should be done for all research and extension programs, and they should be integrated in their action plan. In this way, any issue related to information and technologies as well as research- extension process that arise can be addressed in a timely and effective manner. • In designing a research proposal, CARDI needs to have one component on extension of research results to research on how its research results should be applied in real farm conditions. The extension worker can participate or join this component from the onset of research; they should not wait until the results are generated because it will be too late to develop an extension approach. • In the seed program, there is opportunity for a Joint Research Extension Project on Community Based Seed Production Technique operated by collaboration among CARDI, PDA, and Extension Officers at the provincial level. Through the process of promoting community based seed production supply, the researchers and extension workers can explore possibilities to develop linkages between research and extension services. xxv 5. Provide training and establish an agro-input dealers’ network in order to provide additional private sector extension services to the Khmer farmers. Rice and vegetable farmers who purchase seed and/or other inputs are receiving products of variable quality, without proper advisory services. The following actions are needed: • Establish a network of private sector agro-input dealers who have been trained in the use of seed, fertilizers, pesticides, mechanics, and who will demonstrate their products to potential customers. Use these dealers as additional private sector extension service that will perform after sales service to help and retain customers. • Encourage development of a professional association/network that participating input dealers can use their group power to help farmers and influence policy makers. In Cambodia, IDE has established a network of Farm Business Enterprises (FBE) for vegetable growers. Internationally, IFDC and CNFA are the two NGO’s who have used this model in other countries. 6. Increase awareness on improved varieties and quality seed as the key factors for crop improvement. Support and promote the farmer/seed grower training activities by CARDI and other appropriate institutions. The following actions are needed: • Assist and expand CARDI’s current training and development programs to assist farmers at the community level in the following: (i) Purifying, growing, and maintaining local varieties; and (ii) growing, maintaining, and distributing CARDI seed released varieties through OFAT. • Other programs in Cambodia such as CEDAC (Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture) are aimed at community seed production to add a value added approach for organic rice. Support could be given to these programs. Alternatively, a community seed production/value added program could be instituted that would market local rice products more directly to consumers giving farmers a greater return for their product 7. Improve the integration of the seed industry by strengthening connections within the public sector, and ties between public and private sectors. Work must be done to identify the key players, and to introduce them to each other, and to coordinate their efforts. This also would include on-farm rice seed tests, demonstrations, and field days—not only for the farmer, but also to unify the key rice players. The following actions are needed: • CAVAC is a project that is working within extension and value chain enhancement, and there is a possibility to do extension coordination and training with CAVAC—others may exist as well. This program should work xxvi with MAFF, CARDI, and the Department of Extension to work together to coordinate extension activities within the value chain. • Procure a consultant who has extension experience in crops testing, on-farm demonstrations, farmer meetings, and field days to work with MAFF, CARDI, Extension, seed farms, and PDA’s to uncover pertinent information that can be presented to farmers about their seed and input choices. • Fund CARDI in expanding its test plots and farmer demonstration plots in rice growing areas of the country. 8. Improve capacity and management of seed production farms, including rice, vegetable and other cereal seed, at the community level. Much of the current control of theses farms comes directly from MAFF. It is believed that increased local control would contribute to increased operational efficiency and greater productivity. More local control of these facilities may help the seed farms to better service farmer seed buyers with increasing amounts of high quality seed and better information. The following actions are needed: • Evaluate the MAFF seed production farms and where appropriate, restructure them so that they can better serve their farmer clientele. • Write a business plan for the farm that would provide increasing service and products to local farmers and give the farm a financial basis. This plan would look at all aspects of farm operation and identify the aspects that are profitable so that the farm can be more successful. This would most likely include reasonable overhead payments to MAFF. Local consultants should be available to assist in this process. xxvii 1. Introduction 1. The use of quality seed is a major component of increased yields in crop production. Quality seed and seed programs in a country does not emerge by happenstance; it is created by a combination of many factors that include variety development, seed production, quality control, processing, marketing, and governmental oversight. As the seed sector in a country matures, each of these factors becomes more important and plays a more important role in the growth of the agricultural sector. 2. The seed program in Cambodia is interestingly different from that in many other developing countries. In many nations, especially those of the former Soviet Union bloc, traditional seed programs are in place; however, they are often mired with antiquated procedures and unworkable practices. Moreover, they are frequently staffed with bureaucrats, making for an existing system that simply does not function. Cambodia’s system is nearly the antithesis: there is almost no vestige of the former system, but production and sales of seed continue with a strong belief in the need for quality seed. 3. Even without a true seed program in Cambodia, farmers understand the need to plant quality seed to increase crop yields. Also, seed growing farmers often understand the methods employed to maintain genetic and physical purity of their seed crops. Furthermore governmental bodies understand the need for oversight of the industry without instituting burdensome regulatory scrutiny that would hamper its growth. That being said, it is imperative that Cambodia’s seed industry—still in its infancy— be structured correctly, so that it can grow from many, small groups of locally selling seed growers to an industry capable of functioning in the international market. 4. When structuring this growing seed industry, it is important to look at current practices and to incorporate these practices into programs. Starting new programs, which may use steps that are alien to participants in the industry, are ineffective. For example, it would be prudent to build on the current quality control systems of seed production rather than to start a new type of seed certification program. It is critical to use good workable programs and to build them into national programs without confusing the farmer participants with new procedures or rules they cannot comprehend. 5. Since a major thrust of the seed program in Cambodia involves rice, it is important to consider its role in the average Cambodian’s life. Rice is not just a crop: it is the staple food.. Specific rice types and flavors are important and must be maintained, but it is important that they are also improved. Local varieties are important to individual communities and the loss of those varieties for the sake of an 1 increased yield would be considered a loss of local heritage. Many farmers exist at or near the subsistence level and may be unwilling to give up known varieties for new, superior types because they understand the capabilities and restrictions of their own variety. Any new type, even if it was a higher yielding variety, could be a threat to their lifestyle. The fear is that its agronomic needs could cause it to fail and to bring on a local food crisis. These factors that tie the rice to the people must be considered when designing a seed system in Cambodia. This is especially true when rice is being produced at a subsistence basis or on a small family plot; a major part of any farmer’s decision will include how a change in variety or field practice will affect the field’s ability to produce sufficient amounts of food and cash to his or her family. 6. Cambodia’s climate must also be accounted for in any decisions regarding seed. Its heat and humidity causes rapid deterioration of seed viability and germination in rice and other seeds in both the growth and storage phases. CARDI research has shown that the level of rice germination falls below 80-85 percent within 6-8 months after harvest; this means that seed must be planted during the growing season following harvest. Therefore, any seed produced beyond immediate planting needs for the next crop is used for milling; seed production costs for that seed cannot be recouped. When seed producers’ budgets are constrained, they often plan their seed production based on conservative seed sales estimates. 2 2. Government Oversight 8. It is often the goal of governmental officials to control the seed industry through seed laws and programs. However, the role of government regarding seed laws, seed certification, seed laboratories, and other seed offices should be limited to protecting the farmer and the final seed buyer from inadvertent quality lapses or fraudulent acts. If the government can fulfill this role without burdening the industry, it allows the seed industry to grow and to be flexible in its development. 2.1. General directorate of agriculture (GDA) 9. The individuals involved with seed programs at the GDA grasp the proper type of governmental oversight needed in the Cambodian seed industry. There was no indication of a need or desire to establish burdensome oversight mechanisms. They seemed to believe that programs that allow for the production of quality seed for planting should be their role; moreover, they seem to understand that producing this seed without major governmental interference will be most effective method to do so.. The current seed law does not contain rules and regulations for its enforcement often creating situations where individuals have differing opinions about procedures. This is further evidence to draft and to approve the rules and regulations for the seed law. 2.2. Seed law 10. A seed law gives the structure for seed sales within a country. The true purpose of a seed law is to protect the final seed buyer from a product that will not perform up to expectations. The law will usually provide for certain quality standards and adherence to seed production and quality control activities. . 11. Cambodia has passed a seed law, which could possibly be similar to nearby countries; however, it is impossible to determine because no official or accurate translation exists at the time of this writing. A 2004 version of a seed law written in English was obtained–this version was much like European seed laws that include substantial governmental oversight and would not allow for the emerging seed industry to function as it is currently. . It is not known how or why this earlier version was changed prior to enacting the current law. Discussions with seed officials from the GDA imply that the current seed law is not the same as this earlier draft. There are no rules and regulations for the law at this time; for a law to be interpreted and enforced, consistent rules and regulations are required. The first step for a seed program in Cambodia would be to translate the law into English. A qualified 3 consultant would then be needed to assist the GDA, MAFF and CARDI in drafting and approving the regulations. 2.3. Plant breeders rights 12. With the advent of private sector plant breeding companies, a system had to be installed that would allow variety owners to maintain control over the use of their varieties and to derive an income from them. Laws for the establishment of Plant Breeders Rights (also known as Plant Variety Protection) were written for this purpose. To standardize these laws between countries, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) treaty was established. 13. Individual countries that wish to establish a set of plant breeders’ rights must enact a law that complies with the UPOV treaty and then apply to UPOV for acceptance as a treaty signatory. UPOV membership would allow for the importing of many current private varieties that would grow well in this country. 14. Since Cambodia does not have a functioning seed law with accompanying rules and regulations, it is still at some distance from UPOV membership. The General Directorate of Agriculture has begun putting together a program of plant breeders’ rights that will include a provision for variety owners to enforce their rights through civil proceedings. However, actual enactment of that rule and UPOV membership is still a distance into the future. 15. A plant breeders’ rights position is important to the growth of the seed industry in Cambodia. Multi-national seed companies are often hesitant to allow their varieties to be shipped into a country because of the fear of the loss of control of that variety. Loss of control means that subsequent generations of that variety could be planted without compensation to the parent company. Since the best and newest crop characteristics are often contained in these new varieties, a lack of plant breeders’ rights laws would mean that large seed companies would not be entering Cambodia. More importantly, the best seed would not be reaching the farmers. 16. Enforcement of plant breeders’ rights must also be addressed. Although some governmental regulatory oversight in the form of border control, stop sales, and seizures might be important, a system that would allow for civil remedies by the seed company to stop infractions would most likely have to be included in the seed regulations. 2.4. Seed certification 17. Seed certification is a program of quality control in seed production that establishes procedures and minimum quality standards in seed production. Seed production within a certification system does not guarantee that certified seed is high quality, but instead says that the seed has been subjected to certain practices, 4 procedures, and rules. Thus, because seed has been subjected to the certification process, it has a good chance that it is of high quality. Seed certification is based on a generational system: i) Foundation seed (FS) is the most closely controlled class and grown from seed supplied by the breeder or owner of the variety; ii) Registered seed (RS) is grown from Foundation seed and is a multiplication class of seed that has standards that are less strict than Foundation class; iii) Certified class or the Commercial seed (CS) is the progeny of Registered seed and uses standards less stringent than Registered seed. Many countries use a system called the limited generation system: the three classes are all that are allowed and that Certified/Commercial seed can only be grown for grain and not for further seed production. Where the limited generation system is not used, as is the case in Cambodia, Commercial seed can be continually used for further production as long as minimum standards are met. In this case, successive generations of Commercial seed might be given a classification of C1, C2, C3, C4…and so forth. The possibility of genetic contamination and therefore lower field performance increases with more generations from the Foundation seed to the current Commercial level. Generally, it is recommended to renew the Commercial seed every three years. 18. The seed law authorizes seed certification systems in a country with certification standards often written into the rules and regulations. A Certification system in a country can either be mandatory or voluntary. Mandatory systems are common in Europe and Central Asia and are usually operated through ministries of agriculture. Mandatory systems require that all seed produced in the country must go through a certification program to assure that the seed produced has some assurance of good quality. A mandatory seed certification program works best in a country that has a strong structure and is able to identify and control the seed grown and planted within its borders. In countries where the government does not have this level of control, seed production and importation often goes unnoticed by the governmental authority and therefore much of the seed being distributed to farmers for planting is not subject to any third-party oversight. 19. Voluntary seed certification programs exist in other parts of the world including the United States, Canada, and as near to Cambodia as Thailand. Voluntary seed certification is used at the discretion of the owner of the seed variety. Seed certification is managed by a governmental agency or designated to be operated by a non-governmental group—often a seed grower’s association and subject to oversight under the seed law. The final seed product is tagged with an official label that is recognized as quality seed. Non-certified seed produced in those countries with voluntary programs is most often produced by private companies under their own quality control programs and are backed by the producing company’s reputation. This is not to say that there is no governmental oversight over non-certified seed in countries with voluntary certification programs. Governmental seed regulatory programs (described later) are necessary to monitor seed production quality systems, especially in countries with a voluntary seed certification program because of the possibility of non-complying seed—either inadvertent or intentional. 5 20. Seed certification programs use standards and procedures that are consistent from internationally so that seed labeled in one country can easily be shipped to another. It is also done so that seed buyers in the country of import can be assured that the seed they purchased is comparable to that produced in their own country. In the current world of multi-national seed companies and international trade, seed certification is a major tool used to insure the quality and consistency of seed shipped across borders. Most often countries with active seed certification programs are members of multi-national seed certification groups or trade treaties such as the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (ASOCA) or the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that establish uniform standards for seed in international commerce. 21. A most likely scenario for seed certification in Cambodia would be the use of the voluntary system. It is the system used in Thailand, a major seed power in the region. Current seed production is more informal in Cambodia and much of current seed production would never even be exposed to true certification. This system would also be the logical extension of the current quality control program (formal and informal) now used in the country by seed producers. 22. Although seed certification is an excellent program that protects the seed buyer, it is currently not necessary to implement a seed certification here at this time. The following are the reasons for this recommendation: • Farmers are already aware of the value of using good seed in their crop production; • Increasing amounts of rice and other crop seeds are being produced by trained farmers under quality seed production systems; • Small holder agriculture allows for farmers to scrutinize seed production plots; • Increasing amounts of rice seed is produced by community farmer associations where potential seed buyers and users are able to watch the seed production process of the local seed grower; • A seed certification program would impose added costs on either the government or the seed grower for programs that are already evolving without expenditures; • Production of seed for the international market is not a possible option at this point; and • The system would be virtually unused. 23. The biggest possible beneficiary of a seed certification program would be the AQIP Seed Company. However, they currently use their own quality control system that seems to be working for them. The company said that if such a system was in place they would use it, but it is not currently essential to their needs. 6 2.5. Seed regulatory programs and truth in labeling 24. Seed regulatory programs designated under the seed law provide for truth in labeling oversight programs in the seed trade. This requires that any seed sold must conform to the information listed on its label. Governmental regulatory inspectors can sample seed. If germination, mechanical purity, or other labeled information is found to be incorrect, the seed lot can be removed from sale, destroyed, or fines can be issued to labelers for infractions. Additionally, regulatory oversight handles customer complaints for seed non-performance. Seed buyers in countries with voluntary certification programs tend to be more informed about seed choices because they may be relying on the reputation of a seed company rather than the independent third party quality control of a seed certification program. 25. Since seed quality is difficult to ascertain by simply looking in the bag, the seed label is the method that seed buyers use to understand the quality of the seed they buy. It therefore becomes important that the label information is correct; a governmental seed regulatory program can help to insure that mislabeling, either inadvertent or intentional, does not occur. Truth in labeling does not insure that the seed is of good quality; it states that it conforms to the label information. For instance, a seed label saying 0 percent germination would be truthfully labeled and often legal, but the seed would be of poor quality. 26. In countries such as Cambodia where the level of farmer sophistication is lower than in other countries, it would be necessary to establish minimum levels for germination, purity, and weed content on the labels. These levels are often set by crop type and are designated in the Seed Law Rules and Regulations. Minimum label requirements would be essential in Cambodia. 2.6. Seed testing laboratory 27. A seed laboratory is an integral part of seed system. Physical characteristics such as seed purity, moisture, germination, presence of disease, and weed seed content are determined through an analysis in a laboratory. Seed analysts are trained and in some circumstances are specialists in specific areas of analysis. A seed laboratory is essential to the operation of an official seed certification programs and for seed regulatory functions. Results from seed tests are used for seed labeling purposes. In addition, a seed laboratory can also function as an aid in a variety of development and research programs. 28. Consistency of results over time and location is important because of the possible movement of seed lots from place to place. Seed laboratories are accredited through the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) to provide consistent test results through approved methods and testing apparatus. Accreditation means that the laboratory has the correct testing equipment, consistent procedures, and its analysts have the training and expertise to perform consistent and accurate seed tests. 7 29. There is no seed laboratory in Cambodia, and to have a functioning seed industry in the country, one will be necessary at some point. The lack of a seed laboratory does not imply that little is known about the physical quality of rice seed. Close work in small seed plots means that farmers can easily remove contaminating impurities. Also, sun drying of the seed insures storable seed moistures. Farmer seed growers have been trained to perform a simple and fairly accurate germination test on their seed before the planting season. Seed is soaked in water for a day and then 100 seeds are counted and rolled into a cloth towel. After 24 hours a reasonable indication of germination can be read by counting the number of shoots beginning to emerge. Almost universally, farmers growing seed for distribution or sale performed this test one or more times before planting the seed. 30. A seed laboratory is essential for a country with a seed program. Placing a lab at CARDI would be the logical step, especially since they are anticipating a grant to complete CARDI’s existing rice quality lab as part of a CAVAC project. (The recommendations are for a consultant to help setup the seed lab; this consultant would have to look at the needs in light of existing equipment). The addition of the seed testing lab to the quality lab would seem to be a good fit. According to the Seed Bureau Equipment Company, a prominent lab equipment supplier in the US, a complete lab capable of meeting ISTA standards including a double chamber germinator could be purchased and delivered for $110,000. Supplies for yearly operations would be about $1,000 to $1,500 per year using existing CARDI staff. 2.7. Variety testing and registration 31. At this point, the only new rice varieties being developed in Cambodia come through the CARDI system. There currently seems to be little chance for any other entities to develop and release new varieties; AQIP would like to have their own variety development program, but their sales and financial position seem to preclude that possibility for some time to come. 32. In most national seed programs, potential new public varieties being considered for release go through a program of testing and review to see if the potential variety qualifies for release. There are two components to this testing known as DUS and VCU. The first, DUS is the acronym for Distinctiveness, Uniformity, and Stability. In other words, the variety must have some differences from existing varieties, those characteristics must be similar in all plants of that variety, and the plants of that variety must maintain that uniqueness over generations. The second, VCU testing, stands for ‘Value for Cultivation’ meaning that, the plant of the variety must grow, thrive, and yield well in its area of adaptation. 33. In most cases a body independent of the developing agency performs this review of potential varieties. However, in Cambodia, CARDI both develops the varieties and approves their release. The potential problem is that if and when other 8 entities begin to produce new varieties, there may be a conflict of interest for CARDI, being in a position to approve or reject those new varieties. The potential for this in the near future is low, and CARDI seems to be performing this duty because of the lack of involvement by any other body. 34. Many countries have official seed lists that limit the use of varieties to those that have been tested for use within their borders. These lists are created to protect the farmer from varieties that will not grow well in the local environment, but the lists are often restrictive and inclusion may be arbitrary. A major problem with variety lists in countries like Cambodia is that much of the cultivated land is often planted with varieties not on the list. Local varieties or those brought into the country through unofficial means are often not on the list. Hence, the purpose of protecting the farmers from bad varieties often does not cover most of the seed planted. Sometimes the inconvenience or the cost of testing to be put on the list may be more than seed companies want to deal with, thereby keeping good varieties out of the country. 35. The 2004 draft for the seed law contained wording that would establish such a list, but discussions with the GDA led to the belief that it does not want to have such a list to allow farmers to have easier access to new varieties. CARDI’s variety test program is a viable alternative to this list. CARDI tests for variety adaptability on its new varieties; it also allows this information to be available to seed buyers. The list becomes a recommended list of available varieties, but it does not restrict the sales of other, non-tested varieties. If at some time in the future, seed companies wanted to provide seed in Cambodia, CARDI could also make this testing service available for a fee for other, outside varieties.. 2.8. Analysis on paddy production and rice export policy of the RGC 36. The RGC Policy (RGC, 2010) to promote paddy production and rice exports sets forward a number of policy measures related to paddy production, collection and processing, logistics, and marketing. The following actions are related to the quality of seed production: (i) increasing paddy productivity by using high yielding seed and modern farming techniques; (ii) addressing the issues of standards, classification, and quality according to international norms; (iii) strengthening institutional capacity of the government in defining the rice quality standards in Cambodia; and (iv) creating the independent certification system. 37. Specific actions for the implementation of these policy measures include the following: • Facilitating import procedures for rice seeds, fertilizers, agricultural inputs, and machineries, as well as to provide tax incentives for the importation of materials and equipments; • Providing incentives to local seed producers and distributors through a determination by MAFF of a number of prioritized varieties to be promoted 9 and disseminated, and a preparation of a legal framework and mechanisms by MAFF to promote seed production and distribution by the end of 20101; and • Strengthening and expanding the capacity of CARDI, agricultural experimentation stations, and the Agricultural Development Center for Seed Production, Research, and Technical Training. 2.8.1. Action related to seed legal framework 38. Seed law is developed with the purpose to protect the ownership rights and quality control of seeds. Both MAFF and GDA are responsible for the implementation of seed law including the development of detailed articles. Simultaneously, the ownership rights of new seeds are being certified by MIME after all technical tests are completed and officially approved by MAFF. In case of seed importation from abroad, MAFF will be responsible for seed tests. The registration of private seed companies is done by the Ministry of Commerce; the registration of seed associations is done by the Ministry of Interior; and the registration of community seed based organizations is done by MAFF. 40. The feedback from private seed producers on the new seed law indicates that they would like to see the establishment of a clear legal framework for seed production. The producers hope that this will facilitate their businesses; some producers have faced difficulties in registration in its absence. Although seed quality and ownership rights are concerns for the seed producers, the perception of the private sector is that new law would support the development of the seed sector. The feedback indicates that the private sector would like to see the continued open trade policy of the government and improvements in the general business environment. 2.8.2. Actions related to seed production supply 41. MAFF, through GDA, is currently producing quality seed for distribution to farmers with the support of the ADB funded Pilot Seed Production Project (2010-2011). A total of 450 ha of seed production is taking place in the following three GDA sites: Tuol Samrong Seed Farm in Battambang Province (200 ha); contract farming in Trapeang Thmar in Banteay Meanchey Province (50 ha); and Kampong Thom Province (200 ha). It is expected that a few thousands metric tons of good seed (IR66) produced from this project will be available for the farmers in the coming season 2010-2011. The project will end in June 2011; the continuity of this seed production is not known. 1 The following ten varieties developed and released by MAFF are being promoted: (i) Sen Pidor, Chulsar and IR66 for early duration varieties; (ii) Phka Roumduol, Phka Roumdeng, Chan Sen Sar, and Phka Romiet for medium duration varieties; and (iii) Reang Chey, CAR4 and CAR6 for late duration varieties. The legal framework and mechanisms to promote these seeds for production and distribution is being prepared. 10 43. Discussions with key individuals revealed that GDA seed production is not being perceived as undermining private seed production—at least not in the short term. It is seen as an additional source of supply of seed to fill the unmet demand by farmers who have had difficulty accessing quality seeds. In the long-term, GDA seed production is not perceived to be sustainable due to limited financial support, which is dependent on donor funding. Maintaining the on-going seed production and distribution activities for free seed distribution, coupled with the limited human resources to coordinate and facilitate the quality seed production are problematic. The Government’s role in seed production is therefore primarily related to providing services, and creating an enabling policy environment, promoting the use of good quality seeds, ensuring quality control, and strengthening seed law enforcement. Other responsibilities of the government would include promoting the use of high quality seed among smallholder farmers; producing a foundation seed for seed producers; and supporting the private seed producers with necessary technical assistance to enable them produce high quality seed. 11 3. Rice Seeds Production Supply System in Cambodia 3.1. Rice seed production supply chain 47. Rice seed is produced and distributed through a formal, although small, seed production network consisting mostly of the AQIP Seed Company, MAFF’s Tuol Samrong Seed Farm, OFAT Farmers Cooperators, NGOs, and a few rice exporters that have recently emerged. At the same time, a less formal rice seed production system is also producing quality seed and functioning at the community level with individuals who have been trained by CARDI, NGO’s, projects, or by rice exporters or millers seeking to buy a consistent product from a farmer network. At present, existing farmer networks are still small—some have about 90 members. Champei and the other eight Agricultural Development Communities, along with the CEDAC Farmers Seed Associations are some examples that can be promoted and empowered. 48. Geographically, quality seed is distributed within the 15 provinces of the country where AQIP’s sales network is developed. This includes the provinces of Kandal, Takeo, Kampong Speu, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Kampot, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kratie, and Stung Treng, which are the major rice growing areas of the country. Farmers buying AQIP seed are not the only users of that seed. They also share some quality seed from the first season production with neighboring farmers; however, it is difficult to estimate their numbers accurately. For an accurate expansion of quality seed use, a more thorough assessment must be conducted. 3.1.1. The formal rice seed production system The Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) 49. CARDI’s mandate within the seed system is to maintain local genetic variability, to develop new rice varieties, to release those varieties, to produce and maintain a supply of parent seed (breeder and foundation) to supply to private seed growers, and to educate farmers and seed growers about those rice varieties and production techniques. 50. CARDI maintains a long-term genetic seed bank for rice. An amount of 2,557 samples of current seed varieties, local landraces, and wild rice relatives are maintained in freezer units for breeding purposes. The main purpose of this facility is to maintain the genetic variability of the rice genome for the country. This collection 12 is actively used in their breeding program and samples are periodically checked for viability and samples are regenerated when necessary. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) maintains a backup set of samples for everything stored at the CARDI facility. 51. CARDI’s variety development program used the following process to select superior plants from existing varieties. Selection is a slow process that relies on plants that exhibit superior traits to be hand selected and then propagated. Since 2006, a backcrossing program has been used where a popular variety is hand crossed with another for the purpose of introducing one new, superior trait into that variety. After five successive generations, all plants not conforming to the parent variety with the one new trait are culled and the subsequent pure line is replanted. After the fifth year, most of the genetic variation is removed from the resultant variety and the new variety can be released. More recently, a genetic test is now being performed that can identify the desired plants in earlier generations; this can eliminate several years from the development process. The backcross method of variety development is important because it uses the existing varieties that farmers are familiar with and know how to grow. It then adds a single trait that will make the new variety superior to the former. By using these existing varieties, it is hoped that farmers will accept these new varieties more readily because of the similarity to the varieties they are using presently. CARDI has been doing variety development for over 15 years. I that time, it has released 39 new varieties—including both wet and dry season strains. However, only the more popular varieties are being grown for Foundation seed production at this time. Varieties development and seed production process at CARDI are presented in Figure 1. Figure 1: Process for seed production in Cambodia (CARDI, 2007) Breeding process Released variety Nucleus seed Breeder seed Foundation seed Registered seed Certified seed Graded seed 13 52. Currently, CARDI is producing about 5Mt of FS on 2.5ha of land base on order. Much of the fieldwork is performed via hand labor. In addition to this being a comparatively expensive option (detailed are discussed in Section 3.3.1), hand labor will also become a major challenge when the demand for high quality FS will inevitably increase in the future. To ensure quality seed, all fieldwork must be completed timely in accordance with both varieties and the seasons. Moreover, seed processing after harvest must be completed quickly. According to theory, seed lots should begin the drying process within 24 hours after harvest. Field operations like transplanting, harvesting, and threshing are important activities that require heavy hand labor. These operations should be mechanized, not only for effectiveness and efficiency, but also for applying quality production procedures and ensuring good results. Roguing and other seed field maintenance jobs involved in quality seed production will remain as hand labor—even after mechanization. 53. Produced rice seed is being sold to AQIP Seed Company, MAFF’s Tuol Samrong Seed Farm, NGOs, and a few rice export companies at USD$3.5/kg. FS is also used in research: OFAT with Farmers Cooperators for new varieties’ adaptation and introduction. CARDI also produces small amounts of RS and GS for customers who have such needs. In 2009, quality seed (including 2.3Mt of FS, 3.1Mt of RS and 11Mt of GS) was sent out from CARDI through sale, research, and for other reasons. Figure 2: Formal rice seed production system supply chain 14 54. CARDI currently has four major constraints in the production of FS that need to be improved. These constraints will need to be addressed because of the impending demand for quality seed in the near future. The four constraints are as follows: 1) The first is institutional constraints. These include (a) coordination and integration with other departments of MAFF, (b) logistics arrangements as a semi- autonomous institution, and (c) high staff turnover. a) In regards to coordination and integration with other departments, both MAFF and CARDI need to cooperate with the GDA for enhancing production. They must also cooperate with the Department of Extension for promoting the released seeds and research findings. Presently, the activities and roadmap for institutional linkage and integration of these departments is not clear, nor is it well coordinated. b) Regarding logistics procedures, the process of logistics procedures is very complicated and time consuming. As a seed source service institution, CARDI needs to establish good links and to work with many seed stakeholders including structural and non-structural, particularly large and medium scale, private, and state institutions to ensure a transparent technical operation for seed quality assurance as they are using seed sources from CARDI. c) Turnover at CARDI is high. When trained staff members leave CARDI, the retraining and capacity building of new staff is costly and time consuming. In addressing this problem, CARDI must improve staff salary and create an attractive employment program. 2) The second is Technical physical constraints. One of the technical issues for CARDI is the unclear chain with AQIP in seed quality control. Because this private company uses the seed source from CARDI, developing transparent operation processes and a clear chain for seed inspection is crucial. 3) The third constraint lies in the existing facilities and equipment. CARDI lacks adequate storage facilities for keeping seed in good condition. In terms of equipment, CARDI needs a tractor, plough, thresher, and seed grader for cleaning and grading seeds. A facility for seed quality testing will also be needed—this can be a simple laboratory with the requisite capacity building to ensure the operation and functionality of the seed lab.. Improved access to facilities and equipment will allow for faster and more accurate planting and harvesting of seed fields—while using less hand labor. Both of these constraints are interrelated to the last constraint: a lack of capital. 15 4) The last constraint is the lack of operating capital. Because of its current financial situation, CARDI is unable to plant extra FS without assurances of selling all that is produced. Production of additional seed would allow for more available seed for sale in good years. The current lack of capital creates a problem in poor years: surplus seed with high production costs has to be sold as milling rice because germination rates reduce quickly after six months. This causes CARDI to be conservative in its projection estimates for production. 55. CARDI not only develops varieties and produces quality seeds, but also introduces new seeds to farmers through On-farm Trial (OFAT) and provides for farmers’ education on seed purification as part of its seed service activities. These objectives of these activities have been done with the following objectives: i) to introduce and extend new quality seeds to farmers and other stakeholders, ii) to build farmers’ knowledge and skills on purified seed, and iii) to promote the use of quality seeds to increase production and to add value. Experiences from these activities have shown that OFAT farmers who demonstrated good performance and achieved good results attracted other farmers and dealers from neighboring villages, communes, districts, and even other provinces. In this way, quality seed is produced and spread throughout the country. However, because of a limited budget for conducting OFAT activities, the number of OFATs has been reduced from 700 per year during CIAP period to only 50 OFATs per year at the time of this writing. A reactivation of this activity would increase community-based access to quality seed. The AQIP Seed Company 56. AQIP began as a project to produce seed in 2001. In 2007, it became an independent company when the project ended. Owners include the MAFF, the Seed Growers Association of Cambodia, company employees, and some trustees. 57. AQIP acquires its parent seed from CARDI, and Foundation seed is priced at $3.50/kg. This seed is sold to contract farmers at 3000 KHR/kg (about $0.80/kg) because farmers have a difficult time realizing the value of this seed at $3.50/kg and the cost of the seed can be prohibitive. The value of paddy rice is about 1,000 KHR/kg: the seed is priced to the farmers at about triple the grain value. Farmers are also sold RS for Commercial seed production at 3000 KHR/kg. The CS sold at AQIP ranges from 2400 KHR /kg to 2,800 KHR/kg depending on early/medium fragrant or non-fragrant varieties. 58. Production began in four provinces with stations in each; although one province was determined unsuitable for seed production and has been eliminated. AQIP uses over 1000 farmers to produce its seed; the average farmer grows seed on 0.5 to 1 ha fields; although some fields are nearly 3 ha and some are much larger (40 ha in Baray, Donkeo District, Takeo province). Registered seed is produced on the larger fields—usually 1ha or larger. In order to break the capital constraints of the seed-growing farmers, AQIP organizes farmers into seed producers groups and contract farming to ensure high quality and quantity seed production. 16 AQIP provides seed purchase on credit, in addition to its own agricultural extension services and its own market information services. To achieve this, AQIP has hired qualified and experienced agronomy and engineering experts to train farmers and to ensure agricultural quality improvement. 59. Each of the three production stations has two seed production supervisors who provide oversight to the field operations. For RS production, farmers are required to plant a nursery with vigorous seedlings, which are then transplanted at the rate of one tiller per hill. This is done because of the high value of the seed, purity control, and the desire to use it efficiently. Farmers have the option of using transplants in the growth of the Commercial class of seed. Farmers are required to keep fields free of off-type plants and undesirable weeds during the growing season. There is no requirement for fertilizer or pesticide application although most understand the value of trying to optimize yields using these products. Additional management and costs above the cost of grain production to the seed-growing farmer are for field management activities, especially the removal of off-type plants. Farmers receive a premium of up to 200 KHR/kg of seed delivered based on a contract with a priced tied to the market price at harvest. 60. Seed is harvested using traditional methods. Farmers are expected to supply seed to AQIP that is relatively clean, which might mean that some traditional winnowing is necessary at the farm level before transport to AQIP. Seed is scheduled for shipment to the AQIP seed facility so that it can be processed in a one to two day period after delivery. Once at AQIP, the seed is tested for moisture content and usually dried down to 12-13 percent moisture. Seed dryers are bins with screen bottoms where warm air is blown through. In most cases, the dryers are fueled by burning rice hulls, so drying costs are low. During the drying and other parts of the processing cycle, methods are used to continually identify the seed lot so that loss of product identity is not compromised. 61. AQIP has a means of testing the seed for germination and purity. Their lab and their procedures may not be accredited or well trained, but they do have the ability to perform an adequate test that should give acceptable results. All seed is labeled to a minimum of accepted levels. Germination is labeled at 80 percent, physical purity at 98 percent, and levels up to 3 percent of off type plants are tolerated. All of their standards are similar to normally accepted levels. 62. After drying, the seed goes directly to the air/screen grader for cleaning and the seed is bagged in clean bags at the back of the cleaner. After cleaning, each seed lot is sampled for seed analysis. Each seed bag is printed with the variety name, seed class, individual lot number, seed analysis information, a 30-day warranty, and telephone contact information. Seed is stored on pallets in a warehouse and plastic sheets are used to protect bags and minimize bird and rodent losses. The warehouse is enclosed and ventilated so that extreme conditions are moderated, but the seed is still exposed to the warm and humid conditions that can have a negative effect on seed viability. 17 63. AQIP has a dealer network with 800 active dealerships in 15 provinces. Seed is shipped to them just before planting time; the timing of the shipments helps AQIP to maintain control of the seed in its own warehouse where the quality of storage is known. Seed is priced at a rate that is approximately 2 to 2.3 times the cost of rice in the market. As part of the sales agreement, the farmer is told to perform a basic germination test on the seed in the days before planting. The 30-day warranty therefore allows farmers to return seed with reduced viability before planting. Although the warranty is listed at 30 days, claims against seed performance are investigated and compensation can be awarded if the seed is at fault. Most often, loss of viability is the only claim and any field problems are usually attributed to mismanagement by the farmer. AQIP trains its dealers in handling its seed and how to deal with seed customers. Beyond rice seed, AQIP personnel have little knowledge of other products sold by their dealers or how the dealers relate to their customers. 64. In the past several years, sales of rice seed have ranged from around 40Mt in 2001 to over 2,000Mt in 2009 in the targeted area. The main AQIP customers include rice farmers/dealers, NGOs/Institutions, and rice millers. The sales goal for 2010 is around 4,500Mt, which was one third sales of the objective equivalent to one third of the high quality seed market (AQIP, 2007). AQIP could achieve this goal if it is awarded contracts acquired by FAO and the ADB that could add 2,400Mt of sales to the 2,000Mt sales in 2009. 65. AQIP uses varieties produced and distributed by CARDI. The varieties available have some good characteristics, but are often older varieties, and are available to all farmers from CARDI, meaning that this product line does not give AQIP a competitive advantage. AQIP would like to see the development of new varieties with advanced yield and resistance traits; although, at this time, CARDI is at best just upgrading old varieties via backcrossing. It is AQIP’s goal to have its own variety development program so that it can offer seeds with traits needed by its customers. Before a development program can be established, AQIP will need an increase of seed sales and will also need to acquire some financial backing—both of which are not forthcoming at this point. AQIP’s longer-term goal for 2014 is 4,000Mt of seed sales. There are no immediate plans to acquire any rice varieties from sources beyond CARDI, and there are no thoughts of expanding seed production and sales beyond rice. 66. In terms of coordination and contract arrangements for the long term, AQIP faces some real challenges to reach the goal of twice its current seed sales (4,000Mt per year). In order to achieve this goal—while facing constraints and 18 challenges such as shortage of working capital, old machines, competition with Vietnamese market and others—AQIP has indicated some approaches to deal with these problems. For example, AQIP wishes increase arrangements with larger scale (land) farmers to ease quality control management, to reduce time, and to increase seed uniformity. This would be a direct result of dealing a reduced number of farmer seed growers. At the same time, they will change their pricing strategy with farmers from a fixed price at the onset of contract to a more variable price pegged to the market price at harvesting time (always with 200-300 KHR/kg higher than market). This situation may not be favorable for the farmers, particularly the smallholder farmers. However, it should be recognized that as a private company, AQIP also needs to strive for efficiency and profit. AQIP also needs to upscale the seed processing facilities and storage capacity, and ensure quality standards. 67. The Seed Growers Association of Cambodia (SGAC) was formed in conjunction with the AQIP project; when AQIP became a seed company, SGAC was named a co-owner. Currently, SGAC plays a limited role in the oversight of AQIP. Four board members oversee the association; one is on the AQIP board of directors. SGAC membership is static with original founding seed growers still listed as members even though they may not be producing seed. Also, newer AQIP seed growers are not being solicited into membership. It is believed that there are no currently functioning programs within the association that would benefit members. 68. AQIP seems to have adequate tools to function as a rice seed company although their processing facilities are aging and losing efficiency. Their largest problem is that they are selling open pollinated varieties of rice that are also available to farmers from CARDI and other sources. Essentially, they are selling based on the fact that they have a bagged, ready-made product of purportedly good quality seed. Their segment of the market seems to be mostly farmers with 1 hectare or larger of rice production (larger farmers). They also sell to smaller farmers; however, this is usually in smaller amounts and to those farmers who will use that seed to maintain that variety over a period of several years without purchasing additional seed. 69. For AQIP to survive, it must expand its product line to those varieties currently not available to the public. Its desire to have its own variety development program is unfeasible in the near future, but it might be possible to acquire exclusive rights to its own variety. Still, they would be selling a product that farmers would most likely use to grow their own seed for several generations. A better way to function would be to sell a more full line of seed products, vegetable, and hybrid maize seed. For instance, they could become a dealer for other seed companies. 70. AQIP serves a significant purpose for the seed industry in Cambodia. First, it supplies good quality seed to its segment of the market. Second, it supplies local community farmers groups with parent seed when they don’t have a connection directly to CARDI. Third, and maybe most important; it is essential for a nation’s seed industry to develop smaller, private sector seed companies. AQIP is the only example of a private sector seed company at this time; it can serve as an example to the seed industry. If AQIP is allowed to fail, it will undoubtedly send a message that small seed companies are not viable in Cambodia. It could be a long time before 19 another would start. This information was conveyed to AusAID; they did see that importance. It is hoped that they will continue some support to AQIP. The Tuol Samrong Seed Farm 71. This is a 200+ha farm in Battambang Province devoted to rice seed production. About 50ha of land is devoted to seed production with and average total production of about 70Mt. seed per year. The rest of the farm produces rice for milling or other crops. Foundation seed of selected varieties is acquired yearly from CARDI based on demand from local farmers. This seed is planted for Registered Seed production and then the next season, Commercial Seed is produced. Commercial seed orders of over 1 Mt must be made a year in advance, but smaller orders are handled on a spot basis. 72. The farm uses normal field seed production techniques in order to produce the best and purest quality seed. Foundation seed is transplanted to make the best use of expensive seed. Seed is hand harvested, laid out to dry, and is normally hand cleaned. Seed is bagged and stored, and simple germination tests are performed monthly through the sales season. Germination levels tend to rise for about the first five months after harvest (normally due to a breaking of seed dormancy), and then it begins decreasing. The minimum germination level for seed to be sold is 80 percent and no seed is stored longer than one year. 73. Farmers come to the farm to purchase seed, usually in amounts to plant up to 3 ha. The goal in seed sales is to provide seed for local farmers; therefore it is sold at just 1.2 times the price of the rice market. The RS is sold at KHR 2,500/kg and the GS at KHR 1,600/kg. The service can be, for at least one individual who serves as a dealer, buying seed from them and selling it to farmers in his area. Some sales have been made to NGO’s, but local farmers are serviced first and any orders over a ton must be made before the previous planting season to assure that ample seed is available to regular customers. In recent years, they have had some orders of up to 10Mt sold to NGO’s for distribution based on in-kind payment with grain at harvest. Because of reduced price and quality, more farmers buy seed yearly. The sale record indicates that the farm has a 10 percent increase of seed customers per year. The rice millers in the area were impressed with the seed farm’s effort, as well as with the superior quality rice sold by the farmers to them. Tuol Samrong Seed Farm - Farmers - NGOs-trained Farmers 74. The Toul Samrong Rice Seed Farm was part of a previous World Bank project that supplied tractors, a seed grader, a length grader, a seed treater, and 20 a dryer. Much of this equipment is going unused because it does not meet the farm’s needs or there are not adequate funds for operation. Therefore, most of the seed related activities are performed manually using more traditional methods. (Management of these seed farms were not involved in the selection of equipment and it is obvious that individual needs of the various farms were not considered. Any potential help for the seed farms will be based on their own needs as seen by an external consultant and the perceived ability of the management and staff to use what is supplied). Improving equipment and facilities will enable the seed farm to efficiently upscale quality seed production; therefore, more quality seed of a cheaper price will be available for the farmers who use larger amounts of seed for direct seeding method. 75. Presently, the farm does very little to promote seed use; it mainly focuses on production. CARDI plants some farmer test plots in the area to assess new varieties, but the farm has not been involved with these plots. Favorable new varieties are recommended by CARDI to be grown and farmers purchase those varieties because they saw them in CARDI’s tests or in the seed farm’s fields. Since farmers tend to come to the seed farm to buy seed, it would be an excellent place to perform variety testing, field trials, and demonstration plots. It would seem that the opportunities for seed sales in this area are greater than at current levels. Production is mired in the same methods that have worked for years. Farm management may not have the tools or understanding of how to expand its seed sales or of how to increase its service and extension activities to farmers; however, there is an interest at the farm to learn this and to do a better job. The Toul Samrong Rice Seed Farm along with other MAFF seed units are operated directly with most decision authority and financial aspects handled by MAFF. The logistics are complicated and time consuming. Facility budgets have little to do with farm income; therefore, incentive for staff to produce more efficiently, to perform extension activities that would benefit seed buyers, or to increase seed production and sales volume is low. A management system that would be more autonomous would allow more incentive and flexibility to provide quality seed and extension services to farmer customers. Farmers Cooperators of the CARDI-OFAT 76. On-farm trials (OFAT) are conducted through collaboration between CARDI, PDA, and farmers. The activity consists of growing 1kg each of three improved varieties released by CARDI on a 100m² rice plot in contrast with another plot grown to the farmer’s variety for comparison. CARDI provides all technical support for rice production and lets the farmers manage the trial by combining new ideas with local knowledge. Regular visits were made from the onset of the trials until harvesting time when a ‘field day’ is established to demonstrate the results of improved varieties to the neighboring farmers. 77. When the specified amount of seed is produced, the farmers continue producing and keeping that seed for their own use. They also share the seed with other farmers in their communities or others who have an interest in the newly released seeds. The farmers normally practice this seed production sharing system 21 when they obtain a good, new variety. It is a suitable management system within the capacity of small to medium scale farmers of the village, commune, and district levels. OFAT Farmers 78. The extent to which this chain of quality seed supply can reach depends on the following factors: i) the adaptation and performance of this new variety to the farm condition; the number of farmer cooperators CARDI can support in the area; the extension skill; and particularly, the rice trade dynamic in such an area. The successful case of OFAT at Sre Ampil rice growing area in Kien Svay District, Kandal Province is a good example. A favorable environment for rice business development is created by the key players, the key farmer (or growers’ leader), the farmers themselves, the rice traders, and the CARDI staff. Generally, at harvesting time, most farmers in this area do not need to transport paddy rice to store at home; the traders purchase the rice from them and take it straight from the farm. OFAT farmer cooperators were ordered to keep rice seeds by other farmers at a very early time before the growing season. Afterwards, farmers from other districts of the same province and from Svay Rieng and Prey Veng Provinces booked orders as well. Today, many key farmers in this area are being contracted by AQIP to grow quality seed, including RS and CS for the company. 79. This type of rice and seed production supply system through OFAT can be promoted in all parts of rural Cambodia as one way of building awareness about newly improved varieties and to promote them to wider communities. As has been discussed earlier, at present, this activity is less active and reduced to a restricted number because of a limited budget. The project’s support of this program could generate two useful outcomes: First, it will improve community-based seed service and productivity increase. Second, it can create a sustainable rice research and extension program, which will be on-going and spread through the rural community. Rice export companies 80. Akphiwad Bandanh Kasekor (ABK) is in the early stages of setting up a system of high value rice growers that plant the famous CARDI Phka Roumduol variety for market and exportation. The farmers are formed into associations and are contracted under ABK. All services—ranging from seed and other farm inputs (credit in kinds), farming techniques (CARDI) and capacity building—are provided. ABK purchases Foundation seed from CARDI and produces quality seed for their own premium rice production. Damnok Teuk Rice Export Company is doing something similar for rice exportation. 22 NGOs/Projects 81. Some NGOs are promoting food security and/or agricultural enterprises. They form the farmers into Farmer Associations and assist them in seed and rice production of quality seed from CARDI (RS). Through these Farmer Associations, sub-contracted extension workers supervise and inspect their rice crop as well as provide training to the farmer members. Field days are organized by the project to promote seed business to the surrounding farmers. According to some farmers, producing seed for sale would be profitable, but they do not have enough good land for this purpose. Generally, this seed production system is small in scale, for organic or non-organic rice. Under this seed production program, the farmers could sell their seed to the farmers within their village or nearby villages; at the same time, they produce high quality rice for subsistence and for market. 3.1.2. The Community Based Rice Seed Production Supply System 82. A major portion of rice seed production in Cambodia is done on a more informal basis with various types of local farmer groups providing improved seed to the local community. There are a large number of these production groups which have received some training through CARDI and NGO’s. Some examples are CEDAC, local agricultural departments, extension groups, or from other sources. The training stressed selection and maintenance of high quality seed during field production, seed storage, and other seed production activities. Since there are many of these groups using various structures, a general description highlighting the variations illustrated below (CARDI has played a lead in helping to develop these local groups). Figure 3: Less formal rice seed production supply system 23 Community Based Seed Production of Popular Local Varieties 83. This is done with the objective of assisting those farmers who want to maintain their local varieties and those who could not afford to purchase quality seed. With the popularity of local varieties, CARDI has started a training of community-based organizations to maintain, grow, and purify local varieties. They begin with initial training of a small number of progressive farmers in seed purification and production. These farmers grow a small plot of their local variety, and with their training, they select individual panicles that best display the qualities of the local variety. All other plants in this small seed purification plot are removed. At harvest, the selected plants are threshed, dried, and maintained. In the subsequent season, they are planted in a seed production block. Again, all off-type plants are removed from the seed field during the growing season. At harvest time, there should be enough seed produced for planting a field with a surplus for distribution of smaller amounts to other member farmers. During the first two growing years, the other trained farmers monitor the field to provide assurance that the seed produced will be true-to-type to the original variety. In addition, the locally trained farmers allow all the village farmers to see the seed field and provide some training to those farmers in how to maintain their own seed production plot. 84. In this system, one or two local farmers serve as purifiers of the variety, growing what would be considered breeder seed. A small group of farmers use that seed and their training to produce foundation seed and distribute that to the bulk of the farmers in the group who grow and maintain their own commercial seed and then grow rice for milling. Almost universally, farmers who sold or distributed seed to others would test the seed for germination levels before planting. All have been trained either by CARDI, often through the local PDA’s, or by those trained farmers themselves. Other trained farmers in the group always monitor parent seed growth. Community Based Seed Production of CARDI Released varieties 85. In a program similar to the one described above, CARDI would train individual farmers to grow seed of its released varieties. They would supply 1Kg of Foundation seed (USD$3.5/Kg) to a trained farmer who would grow and carefully maintain the variety over the growing season. The sponsoring group trained these farmers in the techniques of intensive seed production, namely field roguing, panicle selection, isolation to prevent out-crossing, clean harvest techniques, seed cleaning, and storage. Near harvest, the farmer in conjunction with the local PDA and/or CARDI would hold a field day for community farmers. Here farmers would learn about the qualities and benefits of this new variety. 86. In the next production season, the farmer would use this seed to produce a larger amount of seed for distribution to community farmers. In some cases, a few other farmers would take a small amount of the first generation produced seed and grow a production block as well. As described in the first production system, trained farmers would have monitored all seed produced in the field and each 24 community farmer would get some training to produce their own seed plot. In subsequent production years, the initial farmers could continue producing starting with the 1Kg of seed, or they could skip that generation and buy enough FS from CARDI to produce a field worth of seed. Most often starting with the 1Kg of seed was preferable because the purchase of seed in larger amounts was prohibitive at $3.50/kg. 87. These two seed production systems instituted by CARDI and employed at the community level may not have been true seed certification programs, but they seemed to be excellent programs to produce and distribute seed throughout the local area. The initial, progressive seed growing farmers were well trained and proud of the quality of the seed product they grew. Additional local farmers were trained to inspect the seed field as a means of quality control. Additionally, local farmers who were potential seed buyers looked at the field during the crop growth stages and decided at that time if the seed crop being grown was worthy of being planted in their own production fields. Those farmers who purchased commercial seed had some training in producing their own seed and could maintain their seed over some generations without much cost. 88. A real advantage of this system over larger and more formal programs is that seed is produced in very small areas, from a few square meters for higher classes of seed to a field of a hectare or less for commercial production. This means that planting, field maintenance, harvest, and seed cleaning would be performed manually. At this level, seed can be scrutinized very closely and impurities down to the plant or individual kernel level can be removed resulting in a very pure, consistent seed product. These initial seed growers would often supply seed to the others in the local association at a minimal cost—maybe as an even trade for grain or for a minimal fee of 1.2 to 1.5 times the cost of rice grain. 89. Local farmers in the association would also have the opportunity to see the seed production field, either informally by seeing it with the farmer/grower, or more formally during a field day. Almost universally, farmers said that they purchased seed and acquired new varieties because of seeing it grow in other farmers’ fields or in demonstration plots. It is important to mention here that there was not one farmer or seed grower that was interviewed during this consultancy that did not realize the value of using good quality seed and how that seed would have a positive effect on crop performance. Some farmers may have had a lower understanding of what seed quality was and others may have had other reasons not to use improved seed, but all recognized its value. Other Community Bases Seed Production System 90. In addition to the above community-based production groups trained by CARDI, there are other community-based production supply systems for the local interest. Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung is a large scale private enterprise and is an exception. Most used seed purification or production systems with techniques similar to those instituted by CARDI. Below is brief description of those techniques encountered. 25 • CEDAC promotes community seed production by training progressive farmers in Organic Rice Farmer Associations (from 9 to around 50 farmers) to purify and maintain local varieties and produce parent seed for all association members. There are two seed producers per village. The method of purification is thus: with local varieties selected (Red Malis and White Malis), the farmer selects the 10 best quality grains, peals their husk to make sure that grain is in good shape and without damage and grows them in a small box at home to ease watering and care. After 10 days of growth, the seedlings are pulled and transplanted in the field with the following conditions: transplant is in a row, one tiller per hill, 20 cm between hills, and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides are applied. This is done in June when wet season rice is due. Within 125 days, the crop is harvested and he obtains 2 kg of high quality seed (pure, healthy, and high yield). In next season, he uses half the amount of seed for his own seed production and the other half is shared with his members. To produce seed, small plots with well prepared land are recommended to ease crop management. Each seed producer has to produce key seed every year as a reserve. The seed obtained from this process is used for production at a rate of 10kg/ha. The yield obtained from this quality seed doubles to yield of normal seed (up to 6Mt/ha). The seed growers meet regularly to report on seeds produced for sale coordination. Because it is organic rice seed and aromatic, the price is much higher. The key seed is sold at KHR 6,000/kg while the next generation seed is KHR 4,000/kg. This is in comparison to the normal seed at only KHR 1,500/kg. This method has been practiced for four years, and there is still limited production for sale. • Champei Agricultural Development Community (CADC) is located in Baty District in Takeo Province: It is organized with the purpose to produce high quality rice for market. The CADC was founded in 2005 by a group of farmers (now 96 members) who joined together an amount of cash forming cooperative capital for an agricultural enterprise (at present mainly rice). The benefits the members gained include input services (such as low cost seed, fertilizers, machinery, etc.), capacity building, extension services, a market for their products (CAVAC Assistance), and a reasonable value added. The enterprise activities are coordinated by a Chairman who is assisted by a Board Committee (five members). The Chairman and some members undertook the famous IPM Farmer Field School Program funded by DANIDA in cooperation with MAFF during early 2000. They are therefore knowledgeable of the whole cycle of IPM-based rice production, including seed production, and are very open to agro-enterprise initiatives. The CADC purchases seed from AQIP, produces quality seed, and after keeping it for two years, renews the seed again. A good record was obtained in 2009 from 10 kg of RS bought from AQIP; they were able to produce 1Mt of quality seed for their members. Their rice products are well packed and sold to Lucky Super Market, and the quality seed is sold to the farmers within their communities and those outside their province (farmers from Koh Thom and S’aang Districts in Kandal province) at KHR 2,500/kg. The added value they receive is that all members share and obtain valuable information, and the cooperative keeps upgrading and growing. There are around five or six cooperatives like CADC operating in different districts of Takeo province (See Annex 3). This is a good example 26 of farmer-owned value added coordination. This structure and mechanism of community based agro-enterprise is recommended for agriculture development programs in rural Cambodia. • Angkor Kasekam Roongroeung (AKRR): The purpose of seed production for AKRR is to produce premium price rice (Aromatic organic rice) for market and exportation. The rice seed “Phka Malis” is particularly important to the company. The arrangement of production is based on contracted- farming with farmers’ groups. There are 1,000 seed growers who grow enough quality seed to supply 37,000 farmers producing this specific aromatic rice for planting on 46,000 hectares of rice land. The company coordinates all services for the farmers’ seed growers, as well as the rice producers, inputs on credit (paid back during harvest), and farming techniques. The farmers are requested to strictly follow quality instruction techniques during the cropping period until harvest to ensure seed and rice purity and to meet international quality standards. This is done under supervision of the company agencies. At harvesting time, the company directly transports the seed and rice produced from the farm to be processed with mechanized facilities. The seed farmers grow and maintain their own registered seed using individual panicle selection. Most of the rice produced is destined for markets in Europe, China, and Japan. This will expand to Middle Eastern countries in the future. 3.1.3. The emergence of private seed production supply system 91. A private seed production supply system has emerged in Cambodia over last 3-5 years in response to the demand for a quality seed for local varieties and imported varieties (mainly from Vietnam and Thailand). The private seed production system can be differentiated into tree main groups: i) the formal private seed producers; ii) the informal private seed producers; and iii) the informal seed producer groups. Formal private seed producers 92. This group of private seed producers emerged from the need to have good quality seeds for rice exports. The producers generally have good agricultural training, significant work experience, and are knowledgeable in business management. Their seed production practices are operated through contract farming arrangements with the farmer producers who cultivate some 0.5 to 5ha of land. Seed production steps follow the same formal technical procedures as practiced by AQIP. Coordination for value added rice production is applied, including cropping, inputs, credit, training and extension, market, transport services, and seed processing. The companies have registered with the Ministry of Commerce for a 10 year period. Their supply capacity is still small (100-200 MT/year), but it is expected to expand rapidly. 27 93. The number of producers in this group is still small, and they are currently operating mainly in Takeo and Kampong Thom Provinces. This group emerged from private rice producers who produce large quantities of rice paddy for local market and/or exportation. It consists of individual producers, who own large cultivated land, and produce up to 100 Mt of seed. They operate seed production on their land using spot labor. Seed production practices follow either the same technical steps as AQIP, or traditional practices (namely, selection of vigorous panicles with uniform grains). Almost all production activities from land preparation to threshing are mechanized, but seed processing is done manually. Access to services, irrigation, labor, and knowledge in production and marketing exist for such farms. Access to finance is the main constraint for this group, particularly for upgrading their businesses and transforming the groups into more formal seed companies. The produced seed is sold at more competitive prices than offered by AQIP attributable to lower production and overhead costs. These groups of seed producers believe that they can successfully compete with AQIP, especially after they have upgraded their processing equipment to achieve similar quality standards. The informal seed producer groups 94. This group of seed producers can be found in Kandal, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, and Battambang Provinces. These are farmers who have had former work experience in seed production supply with either PRSAC or with AQIP through contract farming arrangements. Farmers normally cultivate 0.5-2 ha of land and seed production using an approach that follows technical procedures that are similar to AQIP. The sole difference is that the seed processing activities are done manually. These groups tend to start with small working capital to produce less than 100 Mt of seed in the first year, and they then expand up to around 300 Mt at present. A few technical staff are employed to assist farmers in seed production, quality work monitoring, and collecting harvested products. The final products are sold with a price equal or lower than that of AQIP’s price. Most of these producers plan to expand cultivated land and invest in seed processing equipment and seed storage; this is expected to increase the quality of seed. Their main constraint is a lack of working capital. Options and constraints of private seed production supply systems 95. Seed production has proven to be profitable business in Cambodia. The emergence of these private seed producers indicates that there is sufficient interest from both the private sector and the farmers. The case of Cambo Seeds is an example of a success story of a formal private seed producer. The future of the private sector in seed production supply depends on their ability to maintain profitability of their businesses while facing increased competition. Since the demand for seeds is 28 driven by profitability of general rice production systems—either for local markets or for export—the private seed producers need to respond to wider range of demands. These demands include local premium rice, which tends to be wet season varieties, as well as for low quality rice, which tends to be short duration and non-photoperiod sensitive dry season (e.g IRRI) varieties. AQIP will remain one of the largest producers of seed for some time to come. Moreover, AQIP is confident of its competitive position in this increasingly crowding business. 96. The main constraint for private seed producers is a lack of access to finance. Other constraints faced by private seed producers—particularly those who are involved in contract farming arrangements—include the following: • Uncertainties associated with seed markets; • Difficulties in preparing good business plans; • Lack of equipment for seed processing, which affects the quality of seed; • Side selling by some contract farmers; • Uncertainties of seed prices for next farming seasons; and • The lack information about seed quality standards attributable to the lack of knowledge and information for identifying different seed varieties and maintaining its purity; and • Lack of awareness among smallholders of the importance and benefits of good quality seeds, which restricts their demand. 3.2. Seed processing 3.2.1. Seed conditioning 98. Seed conditioning is a general term used to include all the processes applied to seed that makes it ready for planting. Seed conditioning for rice often begins with seed drying, which can be accomplished with automated dryer units. More often it is done by spreading it out for air-drying. Primary seed conditioning for rice often uses a machine referred to as an ‘air/screen cleaner’ or a ‘grader’ that uses a blast of high speed air to blow out light material, and a series of reciprocating, perforated screens that remove impurities both larger and smaller than the seed. A machine with rotating cylinders is used to remove particles both longer and shorter than the desired seed. Additionally, chemical seed treaters, bag fillers, and scales can be a part of the seed conditioning system. 99. In Cambodia, the only seed conditioning equipment used on a regular basis is located either at CARDI or at AQIP Seed’s three locations. Several of the MAFF Seed farms also had seed conditioning equipment, but the ones that were seen were barely used. The vast majority of rice seed produced in Cambodia is conditioned manually: It is done by using a woven screening basket that drops out small particles from the seed mass, and then a winnowing process whereby wind blows fine particles 29 as the seed is poured from one basket to another. Chemical seed treatment was not observed—except for some use with vegetable seeds. 3.2.2. Seed storage 100. Most commonly, rice for seed is replanted within 5-7 months after it has been harvested. Seed can be appropriately stored for this period as long as harvest, seed drying, and cleaning procedures are used. The high temperature and humidity in Cambodia can reduce seed storage times; studies by CARDI have shown that seed storage times beyond 6 months will usually reduce viability below the 85 percent standard for saleable seed. It is therefore a common practice to dispose of seed for milling after the subsequent planting season. Although this may seem to be a workable system, it does not allow for the maintenance of a seed reserve—resulting in some surplus higher value seed that has to be sold at a lower market grain price. 101. Farmer seed is stored in bags usually made of woven polypropylene and covered with a tarp or plastic sheet in a building under a roof—protected from rain. Some farmers indicated that jute bags for storage would allow for better air movement thereby helping to maintain seed viability levels longer, but these bags are more expensive. Although it would seem that insects and rats would cause damage to seed stored this way, most farmer seed growers didn’t see these as major problems. 102. Farm seed storage seems rather primitive; although, seed usually does remain viable until the next planting season. All farmers who were interviewed said that they performed a basic seed germination test before seed was sold or planted. Better storage methods would allow for more options in seed use—but in reality—any better storage methods would have to maintain that seed for another 12 months (the next planting season). However, at present, it seems unlikely that such advances can be made while continuing to store seed at the farm level in this country. 3.3. Cost of seed production 103. Production of quality seed follows technical practices of seed purification to ensure quality. Planting rice for seed follows the same steps as normal rice production: it requires quality work from field operation to seed processing and storage; the use of quality resources (including rice land, soil type, seeds/breeding materials, fertilizers, etc.), and high attention in purification techniques and control. Practically, quality seed production should be based on technical knowledge and modern facilities and according to seed regulations and scientific rules. CARDI is the only source of breeding materials, and has provided research, selection, production, and education in seed service. After going through variety the development process (Figure 1), successive class of Foundation seed, Register seed, and Graded seed for the supply system are produced. The discussion of seed production here focuses on the formal system only. It is important to note the following two points. First, the cost 30 of FS was provided by CARDI detailing all activities, labors, and inputs incurred from the field to the end product in storage. In contrast, the costs of RS and GS were computed based on information provided by the respondents. Second, the costs computed in this study only cover field production or raw products. 3.3.1. Cost of Foundation seed production 104. Based on the scientific rules, the breeder must produce the FS by using BS; it needs to be planted in rows with a rate of 1 tiller/hill. All plants that present identical characteristics of the BS plants are harvested for the next class of seed production. 105. Although mechanized field work such as land preparation, harvesting, and threshing can be used, FS production still requires a lot of hand labor. This is attributable to the need to implement purification activities, which include transplanting 1 tiller/hill and in a row, rouging, weeding, bird watching, and cleaning. It costs CARDI a total of USD$ 7,352.9 to produce a hectare of FS. Hand labor cost is the highest component cost at $3,402 covering nearly one half (46 percent) of the total cost per ha; two-thirds of which ($2,250) covers the breeder cost. CARDI suggested that this breeder cost must be accounted for because of the need to address staff movement. The transplanting, harvesting, and threshing work ($541.9/ha or 47 percent) accounts for about half of the other labor cost ($1,152). If transplanting is mechanized with the assumption of a 50 percent cost reduction per ha ($180); and harvesting and threshing can be done using a combined costs of $90/ha; it is possible to reduce the cost by $270 per hectare of FS produced. This equates to $0.12 per each kg of FS produced. Although this reduction may not be as significant as expected and 175 casual laborers would lose jobs, the importance of mechanization’s efficiency and effectiveness in service returns—including time saving, fast field operation, and quality assurance—outweigh its negatives. 106. Since CARDI makes no benefit from its FS production, it is useful to analyze the profit contributed by funding the FS. There are significant contributions that can be appreciated from funding. If one kilogram of FS can produce 6Mt of CS in the second step of seed production, the seed growers could make a minimum of $560 in profit per growing season. (Assuming CS is sold at $0.25/kg.) Thus, each kg of FS funded to CARDI will allow the seed grower to generate around $100/month from seed production. From this analysis, it was observed that small holder producers can increase profits by intensifying their production per unit area. 3.3.2. Cost of Registered seed production 107. RS must be produced by using FS and planted in row with the rate of 1 tiller per hill. The seed rate used is 20kg/ha. Overall, this stage of seed production is similar to FS production; the difference being that it covers a larger scale area. The FS is required to be renewed every 2-3 years for ensuring purity and high quality seed. 31 108. AQIP, Tuol Samrong Seed Farm, NGOs, and rice exporters use FS from CARDI to produce RS first before producing the CS. By so doing, the investment in seed inputs is cheaper while the cost of GS or CS production is even cheaper. To produce one hectare of RS (during 2009-2010 crop season), the required investment was from about $600 to $700/ha for field production including inputs, mechanized field operation, and hand labor. The cost of inputs tends to be higher than the cost of mechanized works and hand labor (Table 1). For all AQIP contracted farmers, inputs—in terms of seed—is paid for via in kind credit. Chemicals are paid for via cash credit. Mechanizing the harvesting, threshing, and bagging work can reduce the cost of hand labor. Although the difference is not very significant ( $10 difference), mechanized work increases operational efficiency and ensures quality. The cost of seed conditioning and storage covered by AQIP was around $50/Mt. If compared with the cost of RS production for IR66 and Phka Roumduol varieties (Table 1 below), it was observed that seed production cost is about a $100 difference attributable to a higher quality fertilizer used in the IR66 rice crop. The yield of IR66 is generally higher (5Mt/ha) than the Phka Roumduol Variety (2Mt/ha). Profit from IR66 by the contracted farmers is worth approximately $800/ha; the Tuol Samrong Seed Farm with the Phka Roumduol variety is worth approximately $700/ha. 3.3.3. Cost of Commercial seed production 109. Commercial seed or GS is produced from the RS, and a pure high quality source is always encouraged. Overall, this seed production follows the same practice as normal rice production by planting more than 1 tiller/hill (2-3 tillers/hill). However, it still requires following principles of other pure seed production including rouging, seed storage, and so forth. This class of seed production is only practiced in Cambodia because of the need to reduce production costs to attract farmers to use quality seed. 110. To produce a hectare of CS, it costs the farmer seed producer to invest approximately $450 to $600 per ha—excluding labor. Overall, there is not a significant difference in cost for RS and CS production for field production in the same location. This is illustrated in the comparison of RS and CS production of the Phka Roumduol variety at Tuol Samrong Seed Farm with the RS and CS production of IR66 at the Sre Ampil Farming Area (See Table 1 below). However, when compared to the “large scale” farming (40 ha cultivated land) in Baray and Takeo Provinces with the smaller scale farmers in Sre Ampil farming area, the CS production of the larger scale farming cost is around $100-150/ha cheaper. This is because of the larger scale farmer’s access to inputs, their access to their own fertilizer, and their access to their own machinery. Their costs are also lower because they have fewer permanent laborers. 111. The direct seeding method is one way to reduce the cost of CS production because it reduces hand labor costs in transplanting. In addition, high yield variety also reduces the cost of seed per kilogram. For these reasons, the cost of a kilogram of CS produced at a lower yield was nearly $0.30; the cost of a kilogram of higher yield was $0.07. Compared with the farmers’ community in Thailand, the seed production 32 cost is similar (Thitima et.al, 2007). The famrer’s sales price at the farm gate to AQIP is KHR 1,300/kg for local medium duration variety and KHR 1,200/kg for short duration variety. CS produced by CARDI is sold at $0.60/kg; CS from AQIP is $0.60/kg for short duration variety and $0.65/kg for medium duration variety and $0.70/kg for medium aromatic variety. Compared to the cost of the Vietnamese seed that is currently entering the market at $1/kg, the Cambodian CS sale price is not expensive—with the IR66 being even cheaper. Contracted farmers can make profits from around $800 to $1,400/ha from CS production. These contracted farmers make more profit with CS production than RS production; although, the Tuol Samrong Seed Farm makes more profit from the RS production than the CS production (See Table 1). Table 1. Cost of seed production in the field per ha (US$) RS Production GS Production TSR TSR (PRD) SA (IR66) (PRD) BR (PRD) SA (IR66) BR (SPD) Input cost 209.03 321.95 168.30 212.04 364.7 224.24 Mechanized cost 109.76 143.90 109.76 121.95 134.15 170.73 Labor cost 248.79 214.63 224.40 131.10 104.88 45.73 Cost per ha 567.58 680.48 502.46 465.09 603.73 440.70 Cost per kg 0.28 0.14 0.25 0.12 0.12 0.07 Sale per kg 0.62 0.29 0.37 0.37 0.29 0.31 Profit per kg 0.34 0.15 0.10 0.25 0.17 0.24 Note: TSR: Tuol Samrong, SA: Sre Ampil, BR: Baray; PRD: Phka Roumduol variety, SPD: Sen Pidor variety 3.4. Reasons for low demand for improved seed by small holder producers 112. The majority of the rice agro-ecosystem in Cambodia is rainfed, low land rice (RLR). Although it is only one rice agro-ecosystem, based on the landscape, topography, soil and land conditions, and rain distribution, diverse rice seeds are being used by the farmers in different regions and locations of the country. This is the issue of seed in Cambodia. The farmers (small holder producers) know well which varieties best suit their rice field conditions and meet their family and community objectives. They like new ideas, particularly ideas related to quality seed, because all acknowledge that seed is a very important factor for production increase. To select varieties for growing, the farmers consider three main criteria: i) suitability of seed to their field conditions, ii) high yield and volume expansion when cooked, and iii) taste and nutritional preference. Unfortunately, CARDI concentrates on high quality rice for market when developing varieties and producing quality seeds. Therefore, not all of the newly released varieties are suitable to the different rice agro-ecological conditions in the country. 33 113. The reasons for the low demand of quality seed can be explained in two farming purposes: the first is family subsistence; the second is a market purpose. • For the small holder producers who mainly produce for subsistence purpose, the reasons for low demand of quality seed are that some CARDI seeds cannot meet criteria 2 and 3. The reason for this is that with small the rice farm they have, criteria 2 is important for having enough rice to feed large families; criteria 3 is important for nutrition because they cannot afford other protein sources. Also, the good taste of rice fulfills their meals. To meet the farmers’ seed preference, CARDI provides training on seed purification to farmers. • For those small holder farmers who have more rice plots and can produce for market, the reason for low demand is an unwillingness to take risks. , In such cases, it is possible that they are not aware of quality seed. If they are aware, the problems may stem from a lack of trust in the new seed. Alternatively, the problem could also stem from the cost of the quality seed. Some farmers fear such an investment when they are not sure about market security for their rice. For these reasons, it is not a surprise that many agricultural projects and farming contracts provide seed input to the farmers in the form of credit. However, interviewed farmers said that they would invest in quality seed if they were completely sure that they would make higher profits. 34 4. Expansion Scenario of Future Seed Production Supply 4.1. Analysis of demand projections for certified/good seed 114. The demand for improved rice seed in Cambodia is not known. The demand for improved rice seed is determined by following factors: (i) farmers’ capacity to adopt proper agronomic practices; and (ii) farmers’ capacity to access markets and finance. The demand is also affected by specific agro-ecological conditions, which determine the type of varieties grown and soil types. These factors could have a significant role in farmers’ demand for improved varieties over using traditional varieties, which have lower yields, but may be better adapted to local conditions. In order for farmers to adopt improved seed, it is required that improved cultivars outperform local varieties under local agro-ecological and climatic conditions or in conditions that allow farmers to overcome agro-ecological and climatic constraints, such as irrigation. It is thus assumed that the demand for improved rice seed is higher in areas of favorable agro-ecological conditions and in areas with higher agriculture potential in general. For example, based on the MAFF’s statistics on rice production in 2009 and MOWRAM’s statistics on irrigated areas in 2009 approximately only 0.6 million ha is under irrigation of the current 2.6 million ha cultivated ha of rice crop (Table 2). With the assumption that improved seed will be cultivated only in an area with access to irrigation, a total amount of approximately 30,000 Mt of seed would be needed when using a seeding rate of 50 kg/ha. 115. From a socio-economic viewpoint, the adoption of improved seed will depend on farmers’ endowment of human capital and productive assets, such as land. On the human capital side, improved seeds respond better to good farming practices and input use. Thus farmers with higher levels of human capital are more likely to demand improved seeds. Access to land is also important. The average rural family needs about 1 ha of rice field to sustain itself. It is thus assumed that rural households with more than 1 ha of rice field are likely to demand more improved seeds than those with smaller land holdings. It is further assumed that some 18,000 Mt of improved seeds are needed for an area of 357,883 ha with a seeding rate of 50 kg/ha. 35 Table 2. Estimated improved seed needed for current rice production in Cambodia based on agro-ecological conditions Estimated WS rice Estimated demand Wet season area (ha) areas for cultivated under Dry season planted to improved rice area supplementa cultivated improved rice seed Province (ha) ry irrigation areas (ha) seed (ha) (Mt) Banteay Mean Chey 214,340 9,144 2,350 11,494 575 Battambang 245,127 50,987 4,839 55,826 2,791 Kampong Cham 166,285 10,753 52,993 63,746 3,187 Kampong Chhnang 105,222 5,050 22,914 27,964 1,398 Kampong Speu 105,190 7,757 146 7,903 395 Kampong Thom 164,279 17,557 20,468 38,025 1,901 Kampot 125,605 1,166 2,375 3,541 177 Kandal 43,634 3,978 57,170 61,148 3,057 Kep Town 3,000 0 0 0 0 Koh Kong 9,619 95 0 95 5 Kratie 29,778 1,656 13,979 15,635 782 Mondulkiri 16,506 729 0 729 36 Otdar Mean Chey 50,390 753 57 810 41 Pailin Town 2,750 0 1,950 1,950 98 Phnom Penh City 5,031 450 200 650 33 Preah Sihanouk Town 12,747 86 0 86 4 Preah Vihear 37,855 512 18 530 27 Prey Veng 250,339 44,920 72,654 117,574 5,879 Pursat 98,810 9,310 3,465 12,775 639 Rotanakiri 24,906 355 0 355 18 Siem Reap 178,790 25,507 16,000 41,507 2,075 Stueng Treng 23,045 858 0 858 43 Svay Rieng 160,413 7,809 14,828 22,637 1,132 Takeo 181,443 30,185 74,224 104,409 5,220 Total 2,255,104 229,617 360,630 590,247 29,512 116. These two scenarios for calculation of seed demand have resulted rather different outcomes. However, they demonstrate that the demand for improved rice seed in Cambodia could be in the range of 17,894 – 29,512 Mt. As shown in Table 2, based on prevailing agro-ecological conditions, it is anticipated that the demand for improved rice seeds are likely to come from the 590,247 ha of rice cultivated areas that are irrigated. Similarly, as shown in Table 3, only about 357,883 ha of rice field are likely to demand improved seeds based on the assumptions of access to land. 36 Table 3. Estimated improved seed needed for current rice production in Cambodia based on socio-economic conditions of the rice farmers’ households (2009) Rice farmer households Seed Rice farmer own rice Area demand Province Households households field >1 ha covered (ha) (tons) Banteay Meanchey 141,509 124,737 6,677 8,947 447 Battambang 205,351 176,236 36,347 75,247 3,762 Kampong Cham 380,083 242,294 16,630 8,459 423 Kampong Chhnang 100,411 56,999 7,778 8,400 420 Kampong Speu 146,850 76,610 13,323 15,322 766 Kampong Thom 135,332 88,212 14,343 17,642 882 Kampot 126,012 59,562 5,959 6,912 346 Kandal 250,112 155,559 29,630 31,112 1,556 Kep 7,517 5,379 0 0 0 Koh Kong 23,183 20,449 1,058 1,090 54 Kracheh 64,060 49,292 7,144 9,858 493 Mondul Kiri 12,149 11,246 1,785 2,249 112 Otdar Meanchey 40,836 36,986 1,918 2,397 120 Pailin 12,446 12,150 422 430 22 Phnom Penh 201,140 193,611 296 322 16 Preah Sihanouk 36,415 30,328 678 766 38 Preah Vihear 28,761 24,225 575 845 42 Prey Veng 241,659 152,161 24,542 30,432 1,522 Pursat 83,153 64,308 9,320 12,862 643 Ratanak Kiri 30,254 27,333 1,033 1,467 73 Siem Reap 165,304 124,832 22,291 24,966 1,248 Stung Treng 20,819 18,749 2,534 3,750 187 Svay Rieng 120,873 84,470 14,564 16,894 845 Takeo 186,247 87,564 67,402 77,513 3,876 Total 2,760,476 1,923,292 286,248 357,883 17,894 37 117. The five year scenario for improved seed demand can be estimated in the context of the government’s rice export policy, which calls for exports of 1 million Mt of white rice by 2015. Estimation of the five year scenario for seed demand therefore starts with the amount of paddy rice to be produced over this period (See box below). Box 1: Estimation of five-year scenario for seed demand in Cambodia Parameters Implications One million Mt of white An equivalent to 1,548,462 Mt of paddy rice exported (with rice the assumption that 100 kg of paddy can yield 65 kg of white rice) To produce 1,548,462 Mt Requires 769,231 ha of rice fields (with the assumption that of paddy rice the average yield is 2 Mt/ha) To have 769,231 ha of rice Requires 38,462 Mt of seeds fields planted Is this plan achievable? Yes, but under two conditions: (i) the capacity to produce improved seeds by 2015 has well exceeded 38,500 Mt annually, and (ii) at least about 770,000 ha will be brought under full irrigation by 2015. To have these required conditions under control, a concerted effort between MAFF and MOWRAM is needed. So far, the MOWRAM strategy is to increase 20,000 ha of irrigated rice area per year (MOWRAM, 2010). If MOWRAM could double this effort to 40,000 ha per year, the plan could be achieved. 118. The seed demand scenario for 2020 could be estimated based on the following conditions: 1) There will be significant interest to grow rice for market in response to increased exports of milled rice. 2) There will be a possibility for expanding more area cultivated to early wet season rice and/or dry season rice because access to irrigation will be increased significantly. If MOWRAM could expand irrigated areas at the rate of 40,000 ha per year, by 2020, about 1 million ha of rice cultivated area will have access to irrigation and could thus become the source for the demand for improved seed for up to 50,000 Mt per year. The three scenarios for seed demand are as presented in Figure 2 below. 38 4.2. Analysis of expansion potential for market supply 119. CARDI, AQIP Seed Company and its contracted seed growers, the private seed producers, and to some extent, the Tuol Samrong Seed Farm are the key players of seed production that targets the potential seed market using CARDI released varieties. The estimate of the expansion potential for market supply would thus provide a potential on the gap, which needs to be addressed from supply side. 120. AQIP Seed Company, as a Cambodia’s leading supplier of high quality seed, suggested that no more than 2,000 Mt of quality seed was used in 2005. In 2009, AQIP sold nearly 2,300 Mt of high quality seed. The company planned to sell an amount of 4,500 Mt of high quality seed in 2010 (AQIP Corporate Plan 2007); their future goal is to reach 4,000 Mt sales potential in 2014 (Recent Communication, 2010). Thus, the potential expansion of seed supply in the short term future (2010- 2014) for AQIP will be between 4,000 Mt to 4,500 Mt. A smaller proportion—less than 100 Mt/year of quality seed—is sold by Tuol Samrong Seed Farm in Battambang Province. Without promotion, there is no hope for significantly increasing demand. In addition to AQIP and Toul Samrong Seed Farm, it is estimated that about 1,000 Mt/year of CARDI “quality seed” (short duration varieties from Vietnam produced in Takeo and Kampong Thom Provinces are not included) could be sold by a few private seed producers. 121. All key players of the seed production supply chain have face considerable constraints. These are mainly capital deficits, limited irrigation, lack of equipment and facilities, and risky rice growing conditions attributable to uncertain rainfall, flood, and drought. These constraints are determining factors for farmers’ adoption of new ideas and technologies in the RLR farming system (Mak, 1998). For this reason, research and extension efforts to promote high quality seed use have not been achieved. This is despite the 2.3 Mt (enough for 28 percent of country’s rice growing area) of the total 5 Mt of FS produced by CARDI that is spread throughout the production supply chain and the various research programs throughout the country. Except for some proportions of wet season RLR and dry season rice 39 farming areas that have better irrigation access, the remainder of the country has lower and un-secure opportunities for increasing productivity. Therefore, opportunities for quality seed use need to be created in parallel with the promotion process. 122. Expansion potential for market supply that can be materialized is assessed by looking at possibilities for meeting this goal. For this purpose, a scenario composed of three key elements: trends, challenges, and interventions are presented. “Trends” is the tendency of market expansion that likely takes place within a certain period of time based on sale records, the rice trade situation, socio-economic and environmental factors, and interventions. While “Challenges” projects the situations and risks to be faced during that period. “Interventions” describes the possible actions that are going to take place through planned projects/programs, as well as likely emerging actions that will be proposed according to given circumstances. Within this framework, three main scenarios of supply expansions are proposed that depart from the baseline scenario (expansion capacity from 2001-2009): Scenario One is the short term low expansion scenario of seed production supply for the next five years (2010-2014), Scenario Two is also a short term but medium expansion scenario, and Scenario Three is a high expansion scenario. 4.2.1. Baseline scenario of seed production supply 123. The sale record from 2001 to 2009 collected from AQIP and Tuol Samrong Seed Farm provides baseline information on seed production supply. Based on the sale record, it is observed that since efforts have been made, the market of high quality seed is being increased although there were some falls in 2007 and 2008 (290 Mt/year). This increase is subject to the fact that there are farmers who have decided to purchase the quality seed every crop after their first experience with it. The real cases gathered during the study are evident: • Through a few years experience of high yield gained from using quality seed, a few interviewed farmers in Koktrop Village near AQIP Center in Kandal Province said that they prefer to purchase quality seed from AQIP rather than keeping their own seed because the quality differences are outstanding; and • The farmer seed producer in Chong Samnay Village, Battambang Province who uses the RS from Tuol Samrong Seed Farm to produce CS said that he wanted to use the RS immediately for his rice production because it performed very well. In addition to AQIP and Toul Samrong supplies, about 1,000 Mt of “quality seeds” were estimated to be sold by the private seed producers. In total, the potential supply in 2009 was 3,359 Mt (Table 4) and this can be adopted as a baseline scenario of the potential seed supply (Figure 3). 40 Table 4. Baseline scenario of seed production supply TSR-SF Private AQIP Sale Sale producer Annual Record Record (Mt) Increment Year (Mt) (Mt) Total (Mt) (Mt) 2001 13 30 - 43 2002 540 25 - 565 522 2003 627 30 - 657 92 2004 768 25 - 793 136 2005 1467 35 - 1502 709 2006 1,862 33 - 1895 393 2007 1,780 90 - 1870 -25 2008 1,282 81 - 1363 -507 2009 2,279 80 1,000 3359 1996 Sources: AQIP and Tuol Samrong Seed Farm (2010) Risks/challenges 124. Rainfall irregularity and limited access to irrigation (despite slight improvement) remain to be important constraints for both the seed producers and the rice farmers. A lack of working capital is the most challenging factor for the key players of the seed production supply system, ranging from CARDI, AQIP, Tuol Samrong Seed Farm, contracted farmers, and rice exporting companies. Rice seed production through contracted farming requires large capital mobilization during planting time and even higher capital mobilization at harvesting time. This constraint needs to be resolved soon to support the expansion of the production supply that will take place within the next five years. 41 Interventions 125. Seed production supply has progressed up to present. This is attributable to the financial support from AusAID in implementing the RGC’s policy. Increasing the seed market was due to an increase in the rice market, both locally and internationally. This only includes local wet or dry season rice that was sold to Vietnam and Thailand, or exported to other countries in Asia. (This does not include fragrant rice). Demand for purer products with uniform grains from the rice dealers and millers induce the rice producers to use quality seed. Other interventions include CARDI seed purification training and OFAT Programs; the IPM Farmers’ Field School, the ECOSORN project, and other agricultural projects that have provided capacity building and extension services and promoted rice enterprises. Moreover, there was good coordination between AQIP and farmer seed growers, as well as among rice exporting companies and contracted farmers. 4.2.2. Scenario One: Low expansion scenario of seed production supply Trends 126. In the next five years (2010-2014), the demand for both medium and high quality rice (wet season and dry season varieties) for both the international and the local market will continue to increase. The AQIP Sale Officer opined an increasing demand for quality seed in the next short term period. Rice exportation to Vietnam is expected to keep growing—both formally and informally. For example, recently a registered organization worth $8 million in the form of Cambodian Rice Joint Ventures has been made with Vietnam Southern Foods (33 percent), VINA Food II (37 percent), the Green Trade Company (30 percent); and CAVI Foods for rice (for 99 years). The agreement was signed in October 2009. During this time, a number of agriculture and food security programs such as the on-going CAVAC, those WB/IFAD, ADB, and USAID funded programs, etc. will be implemented. With this development event, it is assumed that the potential market for seed production supply will rise up to at least 6,750Mt (50 percent) as shown in Figure 4. This amount of expansion is subject to the following assumptions: • AQIP can reach only 3,800Mt; • Tuol Samrong Seed Farm can sell 160 Mt; • The rice seed program implementation will be able to promote farmers’ decisions to purchase quality seed up to 40 Mt; • HARVEST Project can promote the use of high quality seed up to 250Mt; • Private producers can sell 1,500 Mt; and • The government seed production supply can contribute about 1,000 Mt. 42 Risks/challenges 127. In the next five years, the RLR farming system—where the majority of rice seed and rice grain are produced—will likely face more serious droughts because of climate change. Predictions by scientist state that there will be a shorter duration and a limited amount of rainfall. Seed production can be affected if there is no supplementary irrigation. Despite interventions, access to irrigation will be limitedly improved. This will limit the application of intensification to the seed producers and to the seed users. Limited capital will provide low opportunities for seed market expansion. 128. At the same time, the Cambodian seed production supply system is going to conflict with the growing potential of mobilization of Vietnamese seeds supply. Presently, the Vietnamese seeds are wining popularity in Takeo Province. This is because these seeds can cover up to 50 percent of the dry season seed used in this province while covering about 70 percent of total dry season rice area. At the same time, they are being spread to other provinces such as Kandal, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, and Prey Veng because of the characteristics of these varieties including short duration, non-photoperiod sensitive, aromatic, and high yield. Also, the Vietnamese rice dealers provide further services and incentives including seed purchase on credit and markets for all rice produced at high prices—without any strict conditions. The invasion of Vietnamese seed will create two challenging situations for the Cambodian seed production supply system: the first will be protecting local seed and market potential; the second will be the ability to ensure that the optimal expansion of seed production supply will materialize. Capital is particularly important for the main players of the seed production supply system such as AQIP and CARDI. This issue must be resolved at this stage in order to tackle the two aforementioned situations. Interventions 129. The RGC’s policy on rice exportation and the MAFF’s goal to double the production to 15 Mt through intensification by 2015, despite difficulties, could 43 motivate the participation of some projects and activities. It is hoped that WB/IFAD and AusAID funded CAVAC projects and the USAID funded HARVEST and other rice related projects will help the key players to overcome constraints and risks; moreover, it is hoped that this will create opportunities for meeting the market expansion objective. It is expected that agricultural services and some small-scale irrigation will be improved while more extension and business development services will reach the small holder producers. It is also expected that the RGC’s Action Plan to reach the CMDG target in 2015 will benefit the smallholder producers— particularly access to water for irrigation. 130. In order to meet the expansion objective while ensuring local seed security for future rice trade development; all interventions should consider improving coordination of another step of rice enterprise: the rice market. The rationale being that improving coordination will ensure that the rice produced will be sold at reasonable prices. This will encourage and attract farmers to use quality seed. While good coordination between seed growers and seed dealers has been taking place for a quality seed production supply system, another step is needed. Thus far, coordination between the quality seed users (rice farmers) and rice traders has not been functioning well. For this reason, the market for rice produced is not ensured. Successful experience from the Vietnamese rice dealers—who are mobilizing their seeds sales in Cambodia—shows that buying all of the rice produced from the farmers who use their seeds promotes their seed market. 4.2.3. Scenario Two: Medium expansion scenario of seed production supply 131. The seed production supply will go through the same trends, risks, and interventions. However, if there are more successful results from interventions and projects, good opportunities for quality seed market expansion and farmers’ use will be created. Therefore, it will enable the expansion to reach 7,600Mt (56 percent) as shown in Figure 5, subject to the following assumptions: • AQIP can reach its objective to sell 4,000Mt as planned; • Tuol Samrong Seed Farm can sell 160 Mt; • The rice seed program implementation will influence farmers’ decisions to purchase up to 90 Mt of quality seed; • HARVEST Project can promote the use of high quality seed up to 250Mt; • The private seed producers will be able to sell 1,800 Mt; and • The government will be able to produce 1,300 Mt. 44 4.2.4. Scenario Three: High expansion scenario of seed production supply 132. Similar to the situations of low and medium scenarios of expansion, the 53 percent expansion of production supply could be materialized within the five year period. This is condition upon all of the interventions discussed above. Moreover, this is condition upon CARDI developing and releasing more varieties that would attract both farmers and rice dealers according to the CARDI-GDA-IRRI- CAVAC rice germplasm project. Lastly, some inroads must be made to curtail the Vietnamese seed market expansion. If these aforementioned assumptions are realized, the expansion will reach up to 8,500 Mt (60 percent) as shown in Figure 6, subject to the following assumptions: • AQIP can reach its objective to sell 4,000Mt as planned; • Tuol Samrong Seed Farm can sell up to 240 kg; • The rice seed program implementation will influence farmers’ decisions to purchase up to 260 Mt of quality seed, thereby making inroads into the Vietnamese seed sales in the targeted areas; • HARVEST will be very successful in improving opportunities for the market and the use of high quality seed, thereby enabling expansion up to 500Mt; • The private seed producers will be able to double their efforts to 2,000 Mt; • The government will be committed to produce 1,500 Mt . 45 133. When compared to the expansion of potential of seed production, the gap between supply and demand could approach 30,000-32,000 Mt in 2015. The gap could be between 6,750 Mt to 8,500 Mt in 2014, with estimated demand in 2015 of some 38,500 Mt. This gap could be reduced with the entry of more private producers in seed production supply. 4.3. Rice seed program 4.3.1. Investment activities for improving community seed access 134. As discussed earlier, not all CARDI released varieties or all quality seeds are well suited to all field conditions, nor are they preferable to the farmers. On the other hand, not all farmers buy seed for every crop. For these reasons, farmers’ access to quality seed is still low. According to CARDI, presently about40 percent of the rice growing area in Cambodia is cultivated with quality seed. 135. In order to enable long-term farmers’ seed accessibility, the following investment activities are suggested: i) Optimal expansion and diversification of Foundation seeds production supply; ii) Building awareness and distributing quality seed to those farmers who cannot afford to buy while ensuring awareness about availability and use through OFAT; iii) Provide training and capacity building to those farmers who cannot afford to buy or who want to maintain their suitable varieties; and iv) Community based seed production extension program 46 Optimal expansion and diversification of Foundation seeds production supply 136. CARDI plays important roles in breeding and varieties improvement and development. Based on the scenario presented above, CARDI needs to expand its research capacity toward improved varieties that are suitable to different needs beside premium rice. The varieties that are well suited for subsistence purposes and that are adaptable to varied climate and field conditions are in high demand (79,000 Mt). CARDI can produce 10 Mt of FS in five years, starting with 1ha in the first year, 2 ha in the second and third year, 3 ha in the fourth year, and 2 ha in the fifth year. The allocation of the amount of production is based on the need to use FS for OFAT, the Seed Purification Training Program, and the Extension Program. The total amount of funds needed for this activity is $73,530. The returns from this investment would be an increase in improved varieties released for the country. The returns would also create seed capital and training for around 5,000 OFAT farmer participants in the 300 targeted villages of the Seed Production Extension Program in the five targeted provinces. Equipment and facilities 137. Improvement of CARDI facilities and equipment will help increase seed access to poor farmers who are in need through contribution to the expansion of the potential seed market. Investment to improve facilities and equipment requires around $120,000. About $113,000 is needed for the establishment of a seed lab (Table 5), which would begin in year 3 of the project. On-farm Adaptive Trial 138. Enhancing and expanding this investment could increase farmers’ interest and demand for improved seed through farmer-to-farmer extension. Generally, OFAT is conducted in collaboration among CARDI, PDA, and farmers. This activity should be integrated into the Farmer Community after the project. If OFAT receives this investment, each OFAT will cost around $540 (Table 5) and will enable at least 20 neighboring farmers to learn about different varieties. It is expected that after five years of OFAT, in each location where an OFAT is conducted, awareness about improved seeds will be created and will spill over into neighboring communities. At the same time, at least 20 percent of the farmers in the community will adopt improved seed; 5-20 farmers will decide to purchase the quality seed. If five provinces are targeted, it is suggested that 20 OFATs are conducted in each province, starting with five OFATs per district in the first year. The fifth year should be left for integrating OFAT activities into the Community Program. The integration should take place proactively from the third year of the project, so that any support needed can be provided during the first two years. 47 Table 5. Estimated cost for five years CARDI-OFAT in five provinces On-farm trial (100 fields) during five years UC Total Description Unit Qty (USD) (USD) CARDI (A) Per diem Day 240 100 24000 Transport km 14000 0.5 7000 Field materials Field 100 50 5000 Office supply Set 1 500 500 Farmer's workshop Set 5 1500 7500 Meeting and Workshop (10%) 4400 Sub-Total (A) 48400 PDAs (B) DSA Day 160 20 3200 Office supply Set 5 500 2500 Sub-Total (B) 5700 Grand Total 54100 CARDI Training Program on Seed Purification and Quality Improvement 139. This training program can enhance farmers’ capacity in producing quality seed for their own use. Details are also discussed in Section 3.1.1. The training program will be implemented through CARDI and PDA cooperation. In each province, 20 training courses will be conducted; 20 farmer participants will be invited to each training course. The training will consist of technical explanations and field practices for the whole cycle of the seed production. Field practices will be conducted on selected farmer’s field (0.2 ha) for skill demonstration and practice. After the training, if the participants want to have seed, it will be given to them.. After completing the training course, it is expected that 2,000 farmers will be able to grow pure seeds and spread information to other farmers in their communities. It is expected that at least three framers will want to buy FS. Detailed costs of this investment are proposed in Table 6. 48 Table 6. Estimated cost for seed purification and quality improvement training program Training the Farmers in seed purification (100 fields + 2000 Participated farmers) Total Unit Qty UC (USD) (USD) CARDI (A) Trainer fee Day 300 100 30000 Transport km 20000 0.5 10000 Field materials Field 100 50 5000 Training materials Set 1 500 500 Farmer's Notes Piece 10000 0.4 4000 Farmer's incentive Person 2100 6 12600 Meeting and Workshop (10%) 6210 Sub-Total (A) 68310 PDAs (B) DSA Day 320 20 6400 Office supply Set 10 500 5000 Sub-Total (B) 11400 Grand Total 79710 140. The four CARDI investment activities and costs are scheduled in Table 7. Table 7. Estimated cost for all CARDI investment activities in five years Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4 Y5 Total Description (USD (USD (USD (USD (USD (USD Activity 1: Varieties dev. and FS 14,70 14,70 22,05 14,70 73,53 Production 7,353 6 6 9 6 0 Activity 2: Training on seed 15,94 15,94 15,94 15,94 15,94 79,71 purification 2 2 2 2 2 0 10,82 10,82 10,82 10,82 10,82 54,10 Activity 3: On-farm trial 0 0 0 0 0 0 Activity 4: Equipment and facilities - Tractor (John Deere 6603- 30,00 40,00 MFWD) 0 1,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 0 - Plot-transplanter 30,00 40,00 (Japan/Korea) 0 1,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 0 - Mini-combined harvester 30,00 40,00 (Thailand/Korea) 0 1,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 0 110,0 113,0 - Establishment of seed lab 0 0 00 1,500 1,500 00 124,1 44,46 160,4 59,32 51,96 440,3 Total 15 8 68 1 8 40 49 Extension Program on Seed Production Technique 141. The program will be implemented in collaboration between Extension Officers at the provincial level, CARDI, and PDA. The extension program will be integrated with the rice market coordination process. It is hoped that through Farmer Associations, services will be improved, particularly business development for rice. The investment on this program is estimated at about $230,000 for Year One (Table 8). Annex 4 provides a more detailed cost breakdown for Year One implementation. The cost from the second year to fifth year is for covering 30 percent expansion of the target area per year, and it will be reduced by 20 percent of the Year One cost. The total cost of this investment program within five years will be $876,402. It is expected that at the end of five year projects, five farmers associations will be formed in each village, and they will be moving toward an on-going seed production supply association and their benefits will materialize. It is also expected that 20-50 farmers per village will purchase the quality seed. Table 8. Estimated cost for seed production extension program Descriptions Total Cost (USD) Output 1: 4 Provincial staff and 18 district staff formed for 466 facilitating the project implementation Output 2: Provincial and district facilitators access to transport, office 40950 and necessary office equipments facilities for project implementation Output 3: Identify 6 targeted districts, 24 communes, 60 villages & 10600 180 ha rice area Output 4: 21 Provincial and district facilitators trained with more 3507 with seed production techniques Output 5: Rice seed, fertilizers, pesticides, and farming tools are 69127.56 ready for implementing seed production on 180 ha area Output 6: 180 ha area under cultivation—according to seed 65200 production techniques Output 7: 5 Seed Production Supply Associations per village will be 16050 formed and functioned Output 8: Monitoring system being applied to control project implementation quality 3765 Sub-total 209,665.56 Contingency 20,957.56 Year 1 230,632.12 Year 2 (20% reduced from Year 1 budget) 161,442.48 Year 3 (20% reduced from Year 1 budget) 161,442.48 Year 4 (20% reduced from Year 1 budget) 161,442.48 Year 5 (20% reduced from Year 1 budget) 161,442.48 Total 876,402 50 4.3.2. Options for establishing local (village) groups of certified CS Program 142. Cambodia has gone through long years and various experiences with cooperatives, interest groups, community organizations, or resource management committees, as well as other organizations. Lessons learned show that none of these organization or projects have worked. If the members do not understand the objectives of the organization, benefits will not materialize. These are two requirements for deciding on options to establish local groups for seed production supply, and the group should build them up constructively. 143. The key players of the association are very important; they need to be analyzed and their respective roles identified. The key players—including CARDI, which is the main source supplier of BS and FS; extension workers; and the seed farmers’ associations—need to be in place. These are stakeholders within the seed production circle who are involved directly in seed production. In addition to these key players, there is a need to establish relationships and to arrange services coordination with other stakeholders who are indirectly involved in seed and rice production. This would include providers of inputs supply services (such as fertilizer, pesticides and equipments supplies), financial services, and business development services. 144. At present, farmers associations or cooperatives, which are led and managed by the farmers themselves, have emerged in the rural community for a value added approach. The real example that can be cited is Champei Agricultural Development Community and another eight similar to ADC in Samrong, Prey Kabas, Tramkok and Kirivong Districts in Takeo province (Annex 3). Detailed discussions on Champei ADC can be found in Section 3.1.2. Farmer associations like Champei ADC are a suitable local group with a simple approach that could work well for the community based seed program. 4.3.3. Options how to improve linkages between research and extension services 145. Generally, researchers and extension workers work separately in Cambodia. CARDI, for example needs to provide research findings from their research programs to the Department of Extension in order to transfer technical knowledge to the farmers. If the extension approach works well, it is still questionable whether the extension workers could fully understand about technologies to be transferred by simply reading or studying documents provided by the researchers. Experiences have shown that it is more successful for extension programs if the researcher is working at the same time as the extension worker. To provide reliable and updated information on CARDI’s productivity enhancing technologies, as well as the skills needed to more effectively demonstrate the benefits of these technologies, CARDI’s researchers and extension workers of the Department of Extension must develop linkages. They could achieve this by building into each other’s integrated 51 research and extension activities. Some appropriate outreach activities to make these linkages work in practice could be as follows: • Develop a roadmap for research and extension integration. The roadmap should provide concept and framework of integration between their respective roles and commitments, as well as the working approach. This roadmap should be improved and modified as necessary based on real practical experience and consensus between the two bodies. • There should be one or two extension officers assigned to join the CARDI- OFAT activities, and CARDI’ researchers should be assigned to join the extension activities. In this way, the extension workers will learn and practice technical aspects from the research, thereby finding ways to help farmers apply research results, who can then extend their knowledge and skills to other farmers successfully. At the same time, the researchers can look at how the results or research findings can be applied by the farmers in their real farm conditions. This activity should be done for all research and extension programs, and they should be integrated in their action plan. • In designing a research proposal, CARDI needs to have one component on extension of research results to research on how results should be applied in real farm conditions. The extension worker can join this component from the onset of research—not after the results are generated. • In the seed program, there is opportunity for a joint research-extension project on Community Based Seed Production Techniques operated through collaboration among CARDI, PDA and the Provincial Extension Officers. Through the process of promoting community based seed production supply, the researchers and extension workers can explore possibilities to develop linkages between research and extension services. 52 5. Vegetable and Other Seed Production Supply System 146. In Cambodia, there is only one vegetable research station: the Kbal Koh Vegetable Research Station located in Kbal Koh Commune, Kien Svay District, Kandal Province. There is one seed farm dedicated mainly to soybean and mung bean seed production supply: the Chamkar Leu Seed Farm located in Chamkar Leu District, Kampong Cham Province. 5.1. Kbal Koh Vegetable Research Station 147. The tasks of the Kbal Koh Vegetable Research Station include the following: i) to conduct research on imported seeds; ii) to compare and select the best seeds/varieties that are suited to the growing conditions and that have market potential; and iii) to purify and expand selected seeds. The station work on string bean, mustard, tomato, local cucumber, chilly, long and round egg plants, and some cereals such as mung bean, soy bean, glutinous corn/sweet corn. According to the station director, the market demand and potential is more important than the seed price. For this reason and due to domination of imported seeds from Vietnam and Thailand, the station will make selections from those lines that will produce vegetables with characteristics more acceptable to local demands. 148. In seed purification and production, the station receives parent seeds mainly from Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand. After initial testing, selection and seed multiplication, a foundation seed production block is grown. Seed from this could be distributed directly to farmer customers, or more commonly used to grow subsequent generations of Registered and Commercial seed. The vegetable seeds are produced in this station and a larger quantity of GS is produced by contract growers because of limited land capacity. The cereal seeds, after research and selection, are produced at Chamkar Leu Seed Farm. All seed that is produced is returned to the Kbal Koh station for processing and distribution. It costs the contracted grower about $3,439/ha to produce one hectare of string bean GS, and the profit is worth $2,600. 149. The Kbal Koh Station works with open pollinated vegetables seeds only. The disadvantage of this versus hybrids is that hybrids usually have higher yield potential than the open pollinated varieties. Since hybrids come from other countries, their characteristics may not meet local demand. For instance, local demand for eggplant is for long, deep purple fruits; the Thai hybrids do not exhibit these traits. In many cases, the demand for the ideal type is the primary reason for acceptance rather than price or yield potential. In addition to desirable types, the selection of these varites would also have to be made for these varieties to perform better in local field conditions. 53 150. Additionally, the Kbal Koh Station had an extension mandate to make the more distant farmers aware of the use of good quality seed. To this end, they distributed about 40 percent of their yearly seed production to the farmers in different provinces without cost. However, there is a high demand for vegetable diversities from the market and many of those quality vegetable seeds cannot be produced in Cambodia, nor can they be produced at the Kbal Koh Station. For this reason, imported vegetable seeds have been allowed; there have been an increasing number of active importation and distribution networks—even down to local areas by the private sector. Vietnam and Thailand seed companies have the most potential in Cambodia because many of these seed companies are run by former students who undertook their Agriculture Degrees in these countries—particularly Vietnam. They are able to provide all the necessary technical extension and capacity building activities needed to the vegetable growers and farmers. 151. Farmers using hybrid seed from Vietnam or Thailand were extremely satisfied with these products. The shops also sold pesticides, fertilizer, and other supplies for crop production and were able to supply some information to the farmers about crop production techniques. Farmers gained most of their new information from other farmers in the area or from more progressive farmers in other regions. Purchases could be made in cash at the time of sale or by credit with payment at harvest. As might be expected, crop failures or low prices would make credit pay- offs more difficult, but payment would be expected after the payment of subsequent crops. 152. Internationally, seed for vegetable production is dominated by hybrid seeds supplied by large multinational seed companies. In Cambodia, most of the seed comes from companies in Vietnam and Thailand with some production coming from as far as northern Europe. Kbal Koh serves some purpose to the farmers where it supplies seed, but it is very limited. Their present reliance on hybrid vegetable seed from international seed companies is strong; this will be the basis for a vegetable seed program in the future. Therefore, support for this station on seed production at this stage is not recommended because of the following reasons: • First, there are very limited seeds diversities that the station or the country can produce attributable to the unfavorable climatic conditions (namely, the heat and moisture)). Many vegetable plants cannot produce seeds, or they are able to produce seeds, but with poor quality. Thus, on the one hand, the station cannot respond to the high and diverse vegetable seed demands in the country despite the fact that it functions well. On the other hand, the few local varieties of vegetable cover only small proportion of the seeds used in the country; with minimal support, the station is able to maintain them. • The marketing and seed distribution systems of the international seed production companies are superior to the program of the station and can meet both the increasing present and future demands. • The consistent seed quality and yield capabilities of international hybrid seed are superior to the open pollinated vegetables produced at the station 54 • Farmers have confidence in the hybrid seed they are now using and believe that the cost of that seed is worth the price. 5.2. Chamkar Leu Seed Farm 153. This is an MAFF owned facility that mainly produces soybean and mung bean seeds. They are two of the four main subsidiary and industrial crops in Cambodia. Parent varieties of soybean are mainly B3039, brought from Hungary, and DT84, brought from Taiwan. As discussed earlier, seeds of mung bean and soybean are selected and developed at Kbal Koh research station and bulk seeds are produced from those parent lines. Becasue the B3039 variety presents unfavorable characteristics: long duration, sensitive to disease, small grain and low production, it was replaced by Phka Sar variety (bigger grain and high yield) brought back from farmers nearby the farm. 154. Mung bean: 10 ha of the farmland is devoted to seed production. The farm produces about 1Mt of mung bean seed in a year. It is possible to produce more, but farmers tend to reuse their seed from year to year—rather than buying new seed. This is especially true since mung bean seed is relatively easy to produce. 155. Soybean: 20 ha of the farmland is devoted to seed production. It is possible to grow two soybean crops per year: early June and late July. It is difficult to produce soybean seed during the wet season because rain and humidity make it difficult to produce a product with acceptable viability. Since seed moisture is a problem, most soybeans for seed must be dried in the most common manner: air- drying. Airdrying of soybean seed can be a problem because the seed is produced in the rainy season. Exposing the seed for drying at this time can expose it to humid air, which can make the seed wet, moldy, and subject to viability problems. For this reason, the farm cannot meet the increasing soybean seed demand, particularly when there are increasing soybean growers in the northeastern provinces (Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri Provinces) who desire the farm seed. 156. There is greater demand for soybean seed, but because of a low-tech seed production approach and weather constraints, recent production has been about 2-3Mt per year. In better years, the farm has been able to produce up to 10 Mt/year. Seed is normally sold at KHR 6,000/kg, but in 2009, because of high demand, seed was sold at KHR 10,000/kg. With an amount of $450/ha cost of production and recent sale price for 1Mt/ha seed produced, soybean seed production is highly profitable (nearly $2000/ha). Demand for seed can be up to the 30 Mt/year (in difficult seed production years), but these are also the same conditions that limit soybean seed production on the seed farm. Seed from the local market, usually supplied from Thailand, fills the rest of the seed demand in the area. Although the seed from Thailand is KHR 2,000 cheaper (KHR 4,000/kg), the growers prefer the seed from the Seed Farm because they trust the quality and good characteristics of the variety: shorter duration, higher yield, bigger grain, and lighter color. 55 157. Besides rain, the major constraints that make the seed farm unable to function effectively and efficiently have been capital shortages linking with complicated logistics procedure, a lack of equipment for completing field operations on time and as planned, a lack of operational facilities, and a lack of capacity to address these constraints. These problems have led to late crop production, a decrease in the area planted, and harvest time falling during unfavorable conditions (heavier rainy season). 158. The farm does possess some field machineries and seed processing facilities, but they are not useful. Under a separate WB project, the seed farm was given a number of pieces of equipment to help in the mechanized seed production process. The two Massey Ferguson tractors on the farm were currently not useable because spare parts are not available; some tillage equipment was also there. When asked about the tillage equipment, the farm stated that they were not workable. This was doubtful after inspection of the equipment revealed that it had never been used (e.g. the paint was still pristine and the equipment unworn). The seed processing plant had a drier that would have been able to process soybean seed in ample time, but they did not have money to fuel it. Furthermore, it cannot work for seed drying because the temperatures cannot be set low enough to dry seed without overheating the seed and thereby hampering germination. The air/screen cleaner (seed grader) was supplied with only one set of screens; these appeared to be screens to clean rice, which are ineffective for soy or mungbeans. Therefore, soybeans and mung beans are not being cleaned efficiently. The facility also had a length grader that was designed to be attached to the seed grader. This machine had never been attached or used. Moreover, a length grader is a totally inappropriate piece of equipment to be used in the processing of the round/oval soybeans and mung beans. The facility also included a seed treater that was installed, but that had never been used. Soybean and mung bean seeds are not chemically treated here. 159. Most of the work—from field operation to seed processing—is done manually. The farm manager wishes to improve the functionality of the mechanized equipment and facilities in order to increase soybean seed production to meet the increasing demand for improved seed. The manager also wishes to have better budget flow management in order to get inputs and crop production operated on time. The farm seed alone could not do this improvement; it requires a commitment from all institutions involved, including PDA/MAFF and the Ministry of Economic and Finance (MEF). The small amount of seed produced here would seem to be easily replaced by imported seed. 5.3. Vegetable seed supply through seed importation 160. Fresh vegetable production by local farmers is a profitable and important crop in Cambodia. Vegetable farming uses more intensive practices and more inputs than rice, but it can also lead to larger returns. Farmers can often grow several crops a 56 year on the same field, and they can be timed to meet market demand. Marketing of the vegetable products can be done locally or more often through traders who buy from individual farmers or community farmers groups and sell to urban markets. Because of the value of the final vegetable product, farmers have learned the importance of planting good seed to grow their crops. 161. In Cambodia, as in many parts of the world, vegetable seed production companies primarily supply vegetable seed: much of this seed is hybrid. Most of the companies that supply vegetable seeds in Cambodia are from either Vietnam or Thailand. In either case, the seed may have been grown in one of those countries, or it may have been grown and imported from as far away as northern Europe. 162. Local distributors import seed to Cambodia by local distributors and sell it in local shops at the village level. This seed is often packaged in containers printed in Vietnamese or Thai—often not understood by the farmer customers. The purchasers must rely on the pictures on the containers and the word of the seed seller for specific product information. Seed is most often packed in sealed containers, either in cans or packets that are labeled to maintain the stated germination (usually 80-85 percent) for two years. Most seed containers viewed at distributors’ locations or at local stores had expiration dates of at least 2011, so they were basically current. The larger cans of seed are usually opened at the store and seed is sold in amounts according to the farmers’ needs. Once these cans are open, they are exposed to the ambient climatic conditions of high temperatures and high humidity that can reduce seed viability. In most cases seed store operators said that open cans of seed were sold within a few months of the cans being opened—decreasing the chance for major germination damage. 163. Presently, the more advanced vegetable seed dealers increasingly provide demonstration and capacity building as an extension method to induce the vegetable growers to use quality seeds and other farming inputs. In addition, they also provide technical assistance when required. This manner of services attracts the growers’ interest. Beside vegetable seed, the vegetable growers also purchase seed treatment materials, fertilizer, pesticides, water, straw mulch, composted manure, services for cultivation—both mechanical power and animal—and hand labor. Some cropping information was received from the dealers, but most of it came from other growers within the area and from farther distances. These seed dealers are also working closely with the vegetable association, for example, Sre Meas Seed Company (makes direct deals with Tang Nong Company in Vietnam) joined the Vegetable Association in Svay Rieng Province, with various NGOs and PDA in Svay Rieng Province. 164. The ease and economics of producing seed on a farm—or even small seed company/research station can vary with the type of vegetable. Vegetables can roughly be grouped into one of three categories when dealing with seed production. First are those where the actual food product is the seed itself: for example, corn or mung beans. The production methods of seed here is almost identical to the production method of the food product; therefore, extra seed production costs and 57 expertise are not necessary. Farmers will often produce their own seed from these crops. The second group would be those vegetables where the food product is actually the fruit of the plant where the seed must be extracted from the fruit. Some examples are tomatoes, cucumbers, or eggplant. 165. Once again the actual field production is similar for seed and food purposes, but the retrieval of the seed from the fruit requires extra steps, more ripening time, and expertise. Some farmers would grow their own seed of these crops; however, those that understand the added value of good purchased seed are unlikely to do so. The third category is plants where vegetative material (often leaves) is the food product. Leafy vegetables like cabbage, kale, and mustard are some examples. Broccoli and cauliflower could also be considered in this category. The food parts from these crops are removed well before the reproductive stage of growth is reached. Therefore, any seed production would take an additional 4-6 weeks of field production time that might be more profitably used for the growth of the next vegetable crop. This is the group of crops where farmers are least likely to produce their own seed. 166. The potential for a farmer’s own seed production to fill his seed needs is not great. Many farmers will purchase seed every year because they believe it is better quality. In addition, the trade-off of not selling vegetables to the market at favorable prices versus retaining them for seed is often not economically sound. Additionally, farmers also may not have the skills and equipment needed to produce and harvest the seed, and maintaining the seed in the warm, humid Cambodian environment is difficult with viability losses. This can be explained based on experience from interviewed vegetable growers in Koh Thom District: • When vegetable farmers tried to grow seed from their own production, they did not get good quality seed and yields were not as good. For farmers who are used to growing vegetables for food, seed production of these crops takes additional time after the vegetables would have been harvested. This is in addition to management skills that farmers do not possess. Vegetable seed cannot be easily produced in the wet season because of seed sprouting on the plant and mold damaging the seed. • Farmers are not likely to produce vegetable seeds for local distribution beyond their own farm. They know that the seed they produce may have the possibility to be of a lower or at least a more variable quality than purchased seed. In addition, the production of seed takes land and product away from their primary vegetable production scheme. The cost of seed is normally not a prohibitive factor: a mustard grower said that seed costs for his 0.22 ha field were about $5 or about 1.5 percent of the value of the crop. He found this to be a reasonable figure because he knew the quality and potential of the seed he was planting and could expect a reasonable return on that investment. Tomato seed would ranges from $30 to $100 for 100gm (enough to plant an average field) for open-pollinated vs. hybrid seed; however, in both cases, this was offset by seed quality and high yield potential. 58 167. Vegetable seed production is normally handled by seed companies using their own varieties, and employing their own marketing networks. Vegetable seed production requires special expertise and equipment that are not available in Cambodia. Vegetable seed is required in smaller amounts; therefore, transportation logistics are not difficult and not very costly. Therefore, the startup of production for good vegetable seed does not seem very practical, nor is there much demand. 168. There could be some production of tomatoes, beans, or melons this is because the actual edible part is also the portion of the plant that contains the seed. But even here, there is little knowledge in production and the learning curve might be extensive. In addition, the best varieties may not be available and the marketing network is not existent. It seems logical that farmers would not use this seed over the product that they already use—furthermore, the cost of production is nearly the same as buying the seed. Moreover, it is important to note that the vegetable growers are less likely to practice risk avoidance compared with the rice farmers. They are more likely to be open to new ideas. 59 6. Conclusions and Recommendations 6.1. Conclusions 169. The seed industry in Cambodia is characterized by some lack of overall structure, but it is populated by individuals who understand the need for quality seed. Farmer seed growers and seed buyers have begun to understand the advantages of good quality seed and have been learning the techniques to produce it. 170. Based on agro-ecological conditions and socio-economical conditions of the rice production systems in Cambodia, it is estimated that the quality seed demand in 2009-2010 was about 23,000 Mt. The scenario of seed demand in 2015 is estimated to be about 38,500 Mt and 50,000 Mt in 2020. Because the potential expansion of the supply in the next five years could reach about only 8,500 Mt, there is a gap of some 30,000 -32,000 Mt between supply and demand. 171. At the grassroots or community levels, farmers are not only producing seed for other farmers but also are teaching other community farmers how to grow, store, and maintain their own planting stock. In some cases, these community groups have worked with rice traders—creating projects to produce a value added product directly to the final consumer. However, there are also those who are still unaware of the quality seed on sale, as well as those who have no access to it. 172. Private seed producers have emerged as a response to increased demand for quality seed. They can be grouped into three main categories: i) the formal seed producers, which are registered with the MoC and have adopted a production system similar to AQIP, but at smaller scale (100-200 Mt/year); ii) informal seed producers, who have well coordinated (and managed) small production systems (up to 100 Mt/year); and iii) informal seed producer groups, which are not registered, operate in a smaller scale (100-300 Mt/ year) and are also adopting a production system similar to AQIP. Some of these producers could be expected to upgrade and expand their seed production systems in near future. 173. The main constraints of seed production supply in Cambodia are capital deficit, diversification, and the lack of mechanized equipment and facilities for effective and efficient production. Capital deficit is the most serious constraint, particularly for mobilizing the seed purchase at harvesting time. At the same time, the major constraints faced by the demand side are also very important because the farm conditions where the quality seeds are planted, the irrigation access, the purpose of using quality seeds, and the rice markets are determinant factors for farmers’ 60 decisions to purchase seed. These constraints are also important factors in determining potential expansion for the production supply to materialize. 174. A major problem in the vegetable seed supply system in Cambodia is the flow of seed and other inputs, extension information, and customer services from suppliers to the farmers and feedback from the farmers to those suppliers. Not only is there a lack of value chain awareness, but also there is often a fear to purchase inputs because of low quality inputs or a lack of concern by suppliers of products and services. 6.2. Recommendations 175. CARDI’s mandate in the development of new varieties and Foundation seed production is being hampered by limited capital and outdated equipment. These constraints create increasingly expensive hand labor that must be used for precise fieldwork and thereby reduces options in seed production. Currently, CARDI can only afford to grow seed that it is assured it can sell. In years where demand is greater, orders go unfilled because of production restrictions. Support of CARDI’s seed production would mean that greater amounts of seed would be available to rice farmers and significant returns could be generated in CS production (Each kg of FS planted could generate around $700 profit). The following actions are needed: • Provide support to the CARDI seed production and seed research programs according to scheduled activities: 1 ha in the first year, 2 ha in the second and third year, 3ha in the fourth year, and 2 ha in the fifth year (Table 5). • Plot equipment is needed in the first year of the project that would decrease hand labor and make fieldwork more efficient. A tractor, plot planter, rice seedling transplanter, and plot combine should be supplied to CARDI. This investment amounts to $120,000. 176. A strong and functional seed testing laboratory is essential to understanding the quality of the seed being traded in a country. Basic seed laboratories test seed for germination, physical purity, and seed moisture and work in conjunction with seed certification and seed regulatory programs. Labs can also add further services that look at viability and storage potential of seed and can aid in other seed research as well. A seed laboratory should be established and placed at CARDI. CAVAC in considering the funding of the completion of an existing rice quality laboratory at CARDI; the addition of a seed testing facility would be a good compliment to this lab. The following actions are needed: • As soon as the project and work plan are officially approved, a seed consultant should be contracted to assist CARDI in making the lab functional. The consultant should make his initial visit as the project implementation starts. 61 • During this initial visit, the consultant should prepare his action plan for the complete seed lab establishment, assess the industry needs and the CARDI location, and compile a list of equipment and training needs. The consultant should also look at how the lab will function and solicit business. At this point, the laboratory director and staff should already be selected and have begun working with the consultant. Their training needs should also be assessed at this time. • Staff will have to be trained; this is often accomplished by sending the technicians to a functioning lab (possibly Thailand) for a number of weeks of training. They should be scheduled to return back before the second visit of the consultant. • Arrangements will have to be with MAFF or other agencies to fund the on- going operation of the seed laboratory over time. • Order seed laboratory equipment and arrange for the laboratory building or rooms to be built or remodeled for lab use. • After the equipment arrives, an on-site set-up and start-up of the seed lab should be done in the second visit by the seed consultant. He should plan to work with the lab staff for a few days in order to provide the necessary technical orientation and support needed. 177. Community based rice seed production groups have been established in many areas. Usually a few progressive farmers are selected to grow and maintain popular local varieties. They are also trained in field seed production practices including single panicle selection, field rouging, hand harvest, seed processing, and seed storage. Other farmers are trained to grow CARDI seed varieties for distribution at the community level. In either case, these farmers use their fields as variety demonstrations and provide on-going training to other village farmers who will be maintaining their own seed stock. This kind of program is especially effective because it is village based with potential seed users having close access to the seed grower and his seed fields. Additional funding should be made available to expand this type of program to additional communities. The following actions are needed: • Assist and expand CARDI’s current training and development programs to assist farmers at the community level in the following: i) Purifying, growing, and maintaining local varieties; and ii) growing, maintaining, and distributing CARDI seed released varieties through OFAT. • Other programs in Cambodia such as CEDAC are aimed at community seed production to add a value added approach for organic rice. Support could be given to these programs. Alternatively, a community seed production/value added program could be instituted that would market local rice products more directly to consumers giving farmers a greater return for their product. 178. Linkages between research and extension need to be upgraded, as each tends to work separately. This results in researchers generating technologies or new varieties for the extension workers who may not understand or be able to apply these technologies in the real farm conditions. The following actions are needed: 62 • Develop a roadmap for research and extension integration, which provides concept and framework of integration,, their respective roles and commitments, and the working approach. • Some extension officers should be assigned to join the CARDI-OFAT research activities and CARDI’s researchers should be assigned to join the extension activities as well. This participation should be done for all research and extension programs, and they should be integrated in their action plan. In this way, any issue related to information and technologies as well as research- extension process that arise can be addressed in a timely and effective manner. • In designing a research proposal, CARDI needs to have one component on extension of research results to research on how its research results should be applied in real farm conditions. The extension worker can participate or join this component from the onset of research; they should not wait until the results are generated because it will be too late to develop an extension approach. • In the seed program, there is opportunity for a Joint Research Extension Project on Community Based Seed Production Technique operated by collaboration among CARDI, PDA, and Extension Officers at the provincial level. Through the process of promoting community based seed production supply, the researchers and extension workers can explore possibilities to develop linkages between research and extension services. 179. Connections within the public sector and public/private ties are very weak in the Cambodia seed industry. We found a seed farm and a private buyer of soybeans who did not know each other while advocating different varieties with differing traits for the same market; a seed farm manager who grew CARDI rice varieties who never saw CARDI test plots grown in his area; and seed producing farms that had no contact with farmer customers—except at the point of sale. Work must be done to identify the key players, and to introduce them to each other, and to coordinate their efforts. This also would include on-farm rice seed tests, demonstrations, and field days—not only for the farmer, but also to unify the key rice players. The following actions are needed: • CAVAC is a project that is working within extension and value chain enhancement, and there is a possibility to do extension coordination and training with CAVAC—others may exist as well. This program should work with MAFF, CARDI, and the Department of Extension to work together to coordinate extension activities within the value chain. • Procure a consultant who has extension experience in crops testing, on- farm demonstrations, farmer meetings, and field days to work with MAFF, CARDI, Extension, seed farms, and PDA’s to uncover pertinent information that can be presented to farmers about their seed and input choices. • Fund CARDI in expanding its test plots and farmer demonstration plots in rice growing areas of the country. 63 180. Rice and vegetable farmers who purchase seed and/or other inputs are receiving products of variable quality. These farmers often fail to receive sound agronomic advice and many get poor post-sale service from local shops. In many cases, farmers will plant low quality seed without fertilizers or pesticides because of low product quality or lack of product performance. Shops that sold the products will not stand behind their sale, which means that farmers become disillusioned and reluctant to buy products that will give better field performance. The following actions are needed: • Establish a network of private sector agri-input dealers who have been trained in the use of seed, fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanics. Use these dealers as an additional private sector extension service that will demonstrate their products to potential customers. These dealers will perform after sales service to help and to retain customers. Help these dealers to combine into an association so that they can use group power to help farmers and influence policy. In Cambodia, IDE has established a network of Farm Business Enterprises (FBE) for vegetable growers. Internationally, IFDC and CNFA are two NGO’s who have used this model in other countries. 181. MAFF has several seed production farms that provide rice, vegetable, and other cereal seed to area farmers and to other provinces. Much of the current control of theses farms now comes directly from MAFF; it is believed that increased local control would contribute to increased operational efficiency and greater productivity. More local control of these facilities may help the seed farms to better service farmer seed buyers with increasing amounts of high quality seed and better information. A study to evaluate the possibilities is the main focus of this recommendation. The following actions are needed: • Write a business plan for the farm that would provide increasing service and products to local farmers and give the farm a financial basis. This plan would look at all aspects of farm operation and identify the aspects that are profitable so that the farm can be more successful. This would most likely include reasonable overhead payments to MAFF. Local consultants should be available to assist in this process. 182. The National Seed Law has been written and the legislation passed. This means that the raw structure for the national seed program has been established, but without its accompanying Rules and Regulations, the operational interpretation does not yet exist. The following actions are needed: • An appropriate English translation of the law does not exist. The law will require a proper English translation before it can be assessed appropriately. • An expert consultant on seed law and policy will have to be hired to research the law; interpret its meaning for the Cambodian seed industry; consult with MAFF, CARDI, and seed industry officials; and write the Rules and Regulations to accompany the Seed Law. Since the 64 recommendations here are to incorporate a system similar to Thailand’s (therefore the United States seed system) it is strongly recommended that the consultant be familiar with the seed programs in those countries. • Seed certification is the normal program for seed production quality control in a country. Because of the current small-scale agricultural seed production, a seed certification program is not warranted at this time and would possibly add unneeded bureaucracy to the system. It is only recommended that the structure of a voluntary certification be added to the rules and regulations so that it can be added as needed. 65 7. References ACI (2002). Rice Value Chain Study: Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agrifood Consulting International. ACI (2005). Cambodian Agrarian Structure Study. Bethesda, Maryland, Prepared for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Royal Government of Cambodia, the World Bank, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Government of Germany / Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). Agrifood Consulting International and CamConsult (2006) Diagnostic Study, Phase 1 of Design, Agricultural Program, Cambodia, 2007-12 – Program Concept Document Final Report. Prepared for AusAID by Agrifood Consulting International. Bethesda, Maryland. Aide Memoir of Consultation between SNEC and IFAD on Enhancing the effectiveness of rural productive service delivery system in Cambodia: A review of experiences, issues, and options, 30 May 2008. AusAID (2006). Independent Completion Report for Cambodia-Australia Agricultural Extension Project (CAAEP). Phnom Penh, Cambodia, AusAID. Bauer, E (2003). Managing Agricultural Extension in the Community Based Rural Development Project. Consultancy Report to the CBRDP, Kampot, Kampong Thom, Berlin. Bergeron Emeline and Le Anh Tuan (2006). Market Access for the Poor - North West Programme: Case study of Local Rice Seed Production in Yen Chau district, Son La province. Netherlands Development Organization, Vietnam. CARDI (2009). Ten years research achievement (1999-2009). CARDI (2007). Rice production in Cambodia. CEDAC (2003). Final Report on Farmer Promoter Program in Kampot, Pilot Program conducted by CEDAC under collaboration with GTZ/RDP. Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Chea, S. (2002). Economics of Rice Double-Cropping in the Rainfed Lowlands of Cambodia. School of Natural and Rural Systems Management. Brisbane, Australia, University of Queensland. Cuaderno de Nuestra Finca (2007). Procesos de produccion sostenible y competitiva (3ra Edicion). Editorial del Norte, Costa Rica. Economic Institute of Cambodia (2006). Cambodia's export diversification and value addition. Economic Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Economic Institute of Cambodia (2006). Cambodia’s agricultural exports and standards: Trade facilitations or trade barriers? Economic Institute of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. ECOSORN (2007). 3rd Progress Report January - June 2007. Siem Reap Angkor, Cambodia, ECOSORN Project, MAFF. 66 EDC (2001). Rice Milling Enterprise Survey and Credit Study (Kandal, Takeo, Prey Veng and Svay Rieng Provinces). Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Enterprise Development Cambodia for Agriculture Quality Improvement Project. Goletti, F. (2004). The Participation of the Poor in Agricultural Value Chains. A Draft Research Program Proposal. Ha Noi, Viet Nam, Agrifood Consulting International for Making Markets Work Better for the Poor Project, Asian Development Bank. Heiko Bammann (2007). Participatory value chain analysis for improved farmer incomes, employment opportunities and food security. In Pacific Economic Bulletin Volume 22 Number 3 October 2007, Asia Pacific Press. Hundley, C. J. (2005). Cambodia Agribusiness Development Facility: Strategic Framework. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Emerging Markets Consulting for NZAID. Jürgen Anthofer (2004). Potential of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) for Cambodia. Phnom Penh/Spaichingen, GTZ. Kanol, H. (2004). Value Added and Yields in Cambodia Crop Production. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, National Institute of Statistics. MAFF (2009). Agricultural Products Export Promotion Action Plans for 2009-2013. MAFF (2009). Annual Conference on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries 2008-2009 and Perspective for sector development 2009-2010. MAFF Conference April, 2009. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, MAFF (2009). Annual progress report 2008-2009. MAFF, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. MAFF (2004). Draft Seed Law. MAFF, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Michael Roberts, Anthea Long and Nathalie Baxter (2008). Provision of agricultural support services to small farmers through private-sector agents: A review of selected field experience in Cambodia. IDE, Phnom Penh. MoC (2006). 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Policy Paper on The Promotion of Paddy Production and Rice Export (Approved by the Council of Minister on 25 July 2011). Royal Government of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Schmerler, Claudia (2006). Value Chain Promotion: Experiences with Organic Rice from Cambodia. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, GTZ. Thitima Jeamsavasd1, Am-on Aungsuratana1, Vatcharee Lertmongkol2 and Sontichai Chanprame3 (2007). Self-reliance capability of rice seed production group members: A Case Study of Ban Makok Tai seed multiply field group, Phatthalung Province. Kasetsart Journals: Social Sciences, Volume 028, Issue 1, January 2007- April 2007, Pages 94-105, ISSN: 0125-8370. USDA (2010). CAMBODIA: Future growth rate of rice production uncertain. Commodity Intelligent Report, Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA. Virmani S.S., Mao, C.X. Toledo R.S., Hossain M. and Janaiah A. (2002). Hybrid Rice Seed Production Technology and Its Impact on Seed Industries and Rural Employment Opportunities in Asia. International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. Yim Bunlong and Yi Kim Than (2007). Completion Report of Farmer Promoter Project June 2006-january 2007, Community Based Rural Development Program Kampot. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, CEDAC. Ypma, P. (2005). Market Survey of Svay Rieng Vegetable Market. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Agriculture Quality Improvement Project. 68 8. Annexes Annex 1. Characteristics of seed production system studied, as of February 2010 Characteristic AQIP-FSP CARDI-to- Tuol Samrong Seed ECOSORN-FA s Farmers-to- Farm Farmers Value chain practices Type of institution structural structural structural non-structural Producer Farmer association individual farmers Farmer association organization N/A Value chain Contract farming None None, State farm non-contract arrangement operation farming Training AQIP Training CIAP/CARDI on- Technical advice Sub-contract &Extension service farm varietal trial from CARDI service services Financial Farmer own MOEF through ECOSORN financial service AQIP credit capital MAFF assistance Inspection No inspection Field manager responsibility Production Manager GDA follow up Person in Group leader, AQIP CARDI Head of FA charge of field Field Manager Farm Manager supervision Type of open system open system production system open system open system From 2 to 40 ha Small farm (0.5- state farm (large small farm (0.5-2ha) Farm size 2ha) farm) market guaranteed No No by AQIP, premium seed market price Market guaranteed, Price at KHR200/kg price or equal price higher than higher than market exchange, often market price but price Business cheaper than lower than AQIP development other seed price service dealers AQIP is the main No coordination ECOSORN value chain for value added. provides 20 kg of coordinator. This is Phka Roum Duol done by providing CARDI Conducts seed bought from technical assistance OFAT with 2-3 Tuol Samrong and including field selected farmers Farm. Through FA, supervision, credit in their rice fields Sub-contracted services (seeds and to get the new extension workers fertilizer inputs), and released varieties No coordination for provide training to business adopted to their value added. the members of FA, development service rice fields, and to supervise and as AQIP buys seeds provide technical The farm manager inspect their rice produced back from information and prepares seed crop. Field days the farmer seed practical production plan organized by Coordinator producers. technique on new based on order and ECOSORN and varieties to the estimated amount promotes seed Coordination farmers. that would be business for the approach for demanded by the surrounded farmers. value added farmers nearby the According to the farm area and in farmers, produce Battambang seed for sale worth province. The farm high benefit, but normally sells all they do not have rice seeds enough good land produced. for this purpose. Other key Farmer Seed Farmer Seed Farm staff and Farmer Seed players Producers Producers laborer Producers Fertilizer & pesticides Fertilizer & Fertilizer & Fertilizer & dealers pesticides dealers pesticides dealers pesticides dealers 69 CARDI OFAT AQIP Field Manager staff Farm Manager NGO sub-contractor Seed customers: Seed customers: Seed customers: Seed customers: farmers, NGOs, IOs Rice farmers rice farmers, NGOs Rice farmers Farming practices Land preparation Special Traditional way Special Special type of direct-seeding for planting direct-seeding for CS, CS, transplanting Transplanting for transplanting for RS Transplanting for RS RS Both (chemical Both (chemical Cow manure and Type of fertilizer with CARDI fertilizer with Chemical fertilizer low rate chemical fertilizer rate CARDI rate with CARDI rate fertilizer pesticide Yes application Yes Yes both manual or manual Manual manual harvesting mechanized Manual for RS, and manual or semi- threshing mechanized for GS manual semi-mechanized manual Seed keeping technique Follow CARDI Follow CARDI Follow CARDI procedure Farmer’s practice procedure procedure Constraints Tuol Samrong faces capital shortage and most of the time the budget flow is logistically Capital lack of capital No complicated, slow N/A and late which make difficulties in the production management. The spar parts of the tractors (provided by WB during APIP) are Old equipments, low very costly, Facilities capacity for seed N/A consume high fuel. N/A operation To increase production, facilities need to be improved. In working with many small rice land farmers, AQIP experiences with time and budget consuming and at the same time faces Quality Control difficulties in ensuring No No No standard and quality uniformity. For this reason, the company tries to deal more with larger land farmers. Generally, the farmers has small land (between 0.5-1 ha). They wish to produce more seed for market, but it is not possible. In Land No No No producing seed, they select the good land nearby the village because it is good land and it eases them to take care of their crop. 70 Value added reduced for rice reduced for rice reduced for rice reduced for rice Seed cost farmers farmers farmers farmers up to 50% increased According to Tuol Samrong Seed Farm Director, 50% of the farmers who Production use quality seed up to 50% gained up to 50% increased 20% increased can get 3t/ha which increased is 50% higher, and the majority 2t/ha depending on farm and crop management and pest incidence. level of benefit Satisfied high worthwhile High 71 CEDAC-FA CHAMPEI ADC AKRR-FA ABK-FA Characteristics Value chain practices Type of institution non-structural non-structural non-structural non-structural Producers Farmer association Farmer cooperative farmer Organization farmer associations associations Value chain non-contract farming contract farming Contract farming Contract farming arrangement Training CEDA service PDA service AKRR Training ABK Training &Extension service service services Financial Farmer own capital shared finance service AKRR Credit ABK credit Inspection Field manager follow No inspection responsibility up AKRR staff, Group Leader follow up ABK staff Person in Head of FA Head of FC Head of FC Head of FA charge of field supervision Type of open system open system very close system production system Close system small farm (0.5-2ha) Small farm (1.5 ha) small farm (0.5-2ha) small farm (0.5- Farm size 2ha) Coordinated by FA, Coordinated by FA, Premium price Premium price Business premium price premium price development market price ($1/kg- $1.5/kg) CEDAC facilitated Champei ADC is an AKRR Company is ABK is main the farmers to form example of the Farmer main coordinator of coordinator of an association for own value chain value chain. The value chain for helping each other in management which company provides rice production. farming and improve emerged after IPM inputs, credit, ABK provides their livelihoods. Farmer Field School extension, market inputs, credit, Head of FA Program of MAFF (18 and transport training and coordinates his weeks intensive training services to the extension, members for course on rice farmer seed market and technical learning on production). So far, producers. The transport organic seed and there are 8 more ADC seeds produced are services. Due to Seed and rice production Farmer like this in Baty, for the AKRR Farmer Seed the need Farmer to Seed Other key other organic crops, Producers Tamkok, Farmer Seed Samrong, Producers Producers farmer contracted produce Producers uniform players and other Kirivong and Prey rice producers use in grain for association prepare activities. compost by Kabas districts Fertilizer in Takeo & pesticides rice production. prepare compostThe by international CEDAC themselves provides province dealers (Annex 2). rice produces are themselves standard ABK and them technical sold to the company high quality rice assistance CEDAC field in these Head of Champei ADC for local market and produces for activities, manager and in coordinates the value Provincial extension exportation local market and ABK T&E organic rice market. added workers process for seed AKRR Field Manager exportation, Officers ABK They have meeting and rice production. He AKRR is an example starts producing ABK produces every month to manages the shares to of AKRR service a fullproduces quality seeds as seeds for their Coordinator and report on seed and improve the purchase delivery system and well. Rice farmers Rice farmers seeds for their own own use. coordination rice produced and of inputs (such as seed, a closed production use, but not for sale approach for news on farming. fertilizer, pesticides, system. This is an Technical value added They have gone etc.) with time and example of a full activities through several money saving for his service delivery land preparation special cycle of seed special members (value special special system and a transplanting selection for pure transplanting added), brings transplanting transplanting closed type of planting and high quality extension workers to production type of fertilizer compost/cow both organic very low fertilizer seeds. According to provide technical system. manure Head of FA, despite assistance (increase pesticide organic pesticide no very low high benefits from value through improved application yes seed production his techniques), and manual members still do not manual coordinates market manual manual harvesting want to produce (e.g. Lucky Super threshing manual manual manual manual seed for sale Market) for quality seed Seed keeping CEDAC technique. Follow CARDI Company’s practices CARDI because they have and rice grain produced technique For smallthe highest rice land and procedure by the farmerand farmers’ members procedure purity, they peal first they afraid that practices (for higher price). the husk of the seed cannot produce enough rice for consumption. This association has been operated for 4 years 72 already. Seed keeping CEDAC technique. Follow CARDI Company’s practices CARDI technique For the highest procedure and farmers’ procedure purity, first they peal practices the husk of the seed to ensure good grain and sew several grains in wooden box at home. The 1st harvest from this production are selected and kept as main seed, the rest are re-planted for seed and for use in rice production. Constraints Capital N/A lack of capital lack of capital lack of capital Facilities N/A N/A no no Quality Control no no no no Yes Generally, the farmers has small land (between 0.5-1 ha). They wish to produce more seed Yes. Generally, the for market, but it is farmers has small land not possible. In (between 0.5-1 ha). No No Land producing seed, they They wish to produce select the good land more seed for market, near by the village but it is not possible. because it is good land and it eases them to take care of their crop Value added reduced for rice reduced for rice reduced for rice Seed cost farmers reduced for rice farmers farmers farmers up to 50% Double double However, some time According to According to the the farmers could ABK Director, farmers from 30-100% have yield reduced the farmers CEDAC, they obtain According to the due to drought. In normally obtain Production 2t/ha when they use farmers, using purified god rain year, Neang 1.5 to 2t/ha. gained seed kept by seed they can gain from Malis (seed from With quality traditional way. With 1t to 3 t/ha higher than Angkor Kasekam seed they can purified seed, they using normal seed. Roongroeung) yields produce from 3- can get 4t/ha with lower (2t/ha) than 4 t/ha. organic fertilizer. CARDI Reangchey variety (3t/ha) level of benefit very high high high high 73 Annex 2: Characteristics of private seed producers studied, as of January-February 2011 Characteristics Formal private seed producers Informal private seed Informal seed producer producers groups Production organization Type of institution Private Company Private producer Small seed producer Producers Farmers association Organization Farmer None (use weigh labors) groups/communities Value chain Contract farming Self operation with laborers Contract farming arrangement employment Company training service Own knowledge and acquire Employ technical staff knowledge through learning Training & experience as a large scale Extension farmer. Some time hired services technical expert is used Financial service Company capital +loan Producer own capital + small loan Producer own capital Inspection Company staff Own inspection responsibility responsibility: small group Producer own responsibility of technical staff Person in Company staff Own inspection charge of field responsibility: small group supervision Producer supervises laborers of technical staff Type of Close system Close system production system Close system Small farm (0.5-5ha) with Small farm (0.5-2ha) Farm size tendency to larger farm in the Large farm up to 40 ha future Registered with the Ministry of Not registered Not registered Commerce for 2 years already Tax requirement Rice miller or rice farmer Agricultural technical staff Business Rice exporter: from the provinces with development (Due to the need to produce PRSAC and AQIP uniform grain for international working experience standard and high quality rice produces for local market and exportation, the company starts producing quality seeds as well) Company has its full Self coordination The producers coordinate Coordinator and coordination of value chain for the technical experts and coordination rice production. Inputs, credit, All services are ensured contracted farmers, approach for training and extension, market inputs, provide training value added and transport services are and extension, market provided by the company. and transport services This is an example of a full service delivery system and a closed production system. Other key Farmer Seed Producers Farmer Seed Producers Farmer Seed Producers players CARDI as foundation seed CARDI as foundation seed CARDI as foundation supplier supplier seed supplier And other sources Other seed source supplier Fertilizer company Fertilizer company Fertilizer company Vietnamese seed company Bank as financial service provider Bank as financial service provider 74 75 Annex 3. Activities and cost breakdown for community based seed production extension, 2010 Description Quantit Unit Total Unit y price (USD) USD Output 1: 4 provincial staff and 18 district staff selected for facilitating the project implementation Activities: 1. 1. Forming 4 Provincial facilitators 1. 2. Forming 18 District facilitators per./day 18 15 366 1. Developing guideline for project 2 50 100 3. implementation per./day Output 2: Provincial and District Facilitators access to transport, office and necessary office equipments facilities for project implementation Activities: Office facilities (desk, shelves, laptop, 1 3150 3150 2. Videocamera+printer) for the provincial 1. facilitators Set Office facilities computers, 6 1650 9900 2. printers+Photocopier, shelves for District 2. facilitators Set 2. 3. Motobycicles Piece 18 1550 27900 Output 3: Identify 6 targeted districts, 24 communes, 60 villages and 180 ha rice area Activities: 3. District level meeting to select communities or 18 15 270 1. farmer seed producers Meeting Field assessment on Socio-economic situation 3. of the communities or group of farmer seed 6 1500 9000 2. producers Field ass. 3. Data analysis on participation from farmer 3. community or farmer seed producer groups 500 500 3. Launching the project implementation to 4. farmers participants at each commune launch 24 20 480 3. Determining and mapping targeted production 5. area by district and province map 7 50 350 3. Preparing agreement with the farmer seed 6. producers Output 4: 21 Provincial and district facilitators trained with seed production techniques Activities: 4. Determine training topics to be additionally 1. trained 76 4. Organize training program 2. course 1 617 617 4. Organize study tour at the rice seed production 3. area in Longseang, Vietnam tour 1 2890 2890 Output 5: Rice seed, fertilizers, pesticides and farming tools are ready for implanting seed production on 180 ha area Activities: 5. 1. Purchase 6300 kg of CS for 180 ha area kg 6300 1.8 11340 5. Purchase 9 tons of Urea, 18 tons of DAP and 9 12,967.5 2. tons of Potassium for 180 ha ton 6 5. Purchase pesticides for BPH and other worms 3. for 180 ha area liter 360 2.5 900 5. Purchase 6 pesticide sprayers (1 per district) for 4. intervention on 180 ha area piece 6 120 720 5. Purchase 12 hand harvesting machines (2 per 5. district) for intervention on 180 ha area 6 1800 10800 Purchase 6 threshing machine locally made (1 5. per district) for intervention on 180 ha area 6. 6 5000 30000 5. Purchase 12 winnowers (2 per district) for 7. intervention on 180 ha area 12 200 2400 Output 6: 180 ha area under cultivation according to seed production techniques Activities: Organize 20 batches Farmer Field Schools for 6. 500 farmer participants (25 farmers per batch 1. for 16 days) batch 20 1800 36000 18 district facilitators lead the on-farm seed production practice within the 6 districts (1 6. farmer per 3 communities) which cover the 180 2. ha targeted area per/day 432 15 6480 18 district facilitators follow up and supervise seed production plots regularly 1 time/week for 6. 16 weeks to address any emerging problems that 3. can occur pers/day 288 15 4320 6. Organize 20 Farmer Study Tours to exchange 4. experiences (2 days each) tour 20 800 16000 2 Subject Matter Specialist Officers provide guidance and assist in addressing any field 6. problems of the communities 1 visit/community 5. for 4 months pers/day 120 20 2400 Output 7: Farmers in 30 communities will be supported for their seed promotion Activities: Organize 30 Farmers Field Days with 3000 farmer participants (100 participants/Field Day) 7. to extend the information about community Field 1. based quality seed production to other farmers. Day 30 300 9000 7. 2. Organize Seed production Documentary Video 1800 77 7. Broadcasting information through TV in 3. Agriculture Program 1 time/month time 5 30 150 7. 4. FM Radio live broadcasting 2 times/year time 2 200 400 Publication of the magazine on community 7. based quality seed production in Takeo province 5. 1 publication/trimester copies 1000 1 1500 7. 6. Seed bag + labeling piece 10000 0.2 2000 7. 7. Prepare banderole for 60 Community Seed Shop piece 60 20 1200 Output 8: Monitoring system being applied to control the project implementation quality Activities: The provincial facilitators conduct monitoring 8. and evaluation in the target area every month 1. M&E 6 480 2880 8. Prepare monitoring sheets for monthly 2. evaluation of each community 8. 3. Monthly and Annual Wrap up Meeting Meeting 12 885 Sub-total 209,665. 56 Contingency (10%) 20,966.5 6 Grand total 230,632. 12 Notes: Above are outputs and respective activities for the first year project implementation. For the consecutives years, the activities will remain the same, but for expanded target villages and communes. Therefore, additional facilities are needed 78