Original report from Phnom Penh
25 October 2007
Rice farmers who began an experimental system of planting as early as 2000 are starting to reap tall, bountiful benefits, the aid agency Oxfam and Cambodian farmers said recently.
Rice planted "against all…experience and instincts" of Cambodia's farmers, are producing more rice, with no chemicals.
A new program asked that farmers to abandon chemical fertilizers, plant fewer seeds and not flood paddies, Oxfam said in a statement earlier this month.
"The same seeds used to produce plants that came up to my knees," farmer Mey Som said in a statement. "Now they reach above my head."
The transformation of the rice plants comes from following a plan called the System of Rice Intensification, which was developed in Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, in the 1980s. The system was introduced to Cambodia by the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture, or Cedac, in 1999.
At the heart of the system is the promotion of the growth of a rice shoot's roots, by transplanting full-grain seeds, using nursery beds, wider spacing between each plant, shallow transplanting and other methods.
The result is higher rice stalks and more rice grains.
Cedac Director Yang Saing Koma told VOA Khmer the first step was to convince the farmers to use an organic growing method, so that they could sell in organic markets.
Only 200 families at first participated, he said, but year after year, more farmers began to trust the system.
"First, the sale of the products brings good value," Yang Saing Koma said.
The cost is low, too, he said, because farmers don't have to purchase expensive chemical fertilizers.
"Furthermore, it is good for their health and environmental friendly. All of these reasons catch their attention," he said.
Now, 4,000 families use the system, he said, and "it might go up."
Rice planted "against all…experience and instincts" of Cambodia's farmers, are producing more rice, with no chemicals.
A new program asked that farmers to abandon chemical fertilizers, plant fewer seeds and not flood paddies, Oxfam said in a statement earlier this month.
"The same seeds used to produce plants that came up to my knees," farmer Mey Som said in a statement. "Now they reach above my head."
The transformation of the rice plants comes from following a plan called the System of Rice Intensification, which was developed in Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, in the 1980s. The system was introduced to Cambodia by the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture, or Cedac, in 1999.
At the heart of the system is the promotion of the growth of a rice shoot's roots, by transplanting full-grain seeds, using nursery beds, wider spacing between each plant, shallow transplanting and other methods.
The result is higher rice stalks and more rice grains.
Cedac Director Yang Saing Koma told VOA Khmer the first step was to convince the farmers to use an organic growing method, so that they could sell in organic markets.
Only 200 families at first participated, he said, but year after year, more farmers began to trust the system.
"First, the sale of the products brings good value," Yang Saing Koma said.
The cost is low, too, he said, because farmers don't have to purchase expensive chemical fertilizers.
"Furthermore, it is good for their health and environmental friendly. All of these reasons catch their attention," he said.
Now, 4,000 families use the system, he said, and "it might go up."
8 comments:
If this work so well, we should expand organic rice to the entire country thus differentiat ourself from the Vietnamese and Thai who use more chemicals and industrialization method.
And why stop with rice, expand it to other food we produce.
Yes, but we need investors to lease the land and develop it. I was hoping North Korean, since they may have climax issue in their land. We are not moving fast enough with lack of equipments for irrigation and plowing the land. Our cows are too slow to produce any significant surplus to get us out of poverty quickly.
Sorry... 5:50 AM
When I read : our cows are too slow.
It's make me smile !!!
Indeed, the beef and buffalos are too slow to labor.
Still, if these peoples have cows, beef and buffalos.
Villagers are really poor, I don't see a lots of cows, buffalos and beef.
Comparing to a tractor, which can labor 5 or 7 hectares a day.
Yes, 8:50, not too many people own herd of cows or buffalo. They only got one or two, and the cow or buffalo only plow enough land for the owner to plant their rice, and then they set them lose to roam around by themselves; that is why you only seen a cow or buffalo here and there by themself, and the villager without cow or buffalo most of the season.
As for tractors, the villager need the initial loan for it and for fuel, and for more land. That way, they can produce extra to pay for the fuel, land, and tractor. Consequently, that also mean we will we have to knock down more forests to get more land. But I am for it. I don't care what it take for us to get out of poverty.
9:42 AM... I agree for the forest.
If we can cut the forest and plant fruit's tree. The result should be the same... Cutting and planting...
It's can protect environment...
Anyways it's Hun Sen's land...
He think that cambodians are so ignorant, He Thinks that They don't know even planting rubber trees. That's why He gave 100 000 hectares to viet soldiers. Maybe the viets that have come to collect their heroes. Beside, they have come to chose their lands too ???
What do you think about the viet armies coming to chose their lands to plant rubber trees ??? Reasonable or not!!!
They're so many viets in Pailin.
I wonder if They come to help Cambodia too.
Yes that is a good way of looking at it, 10:53, trees are trees, and trees are plants. Who care what they choose, so long as it is green, absorb co2, give off o2, not poisoning, and make money, right?
As for Vietnamese, I have to give them credit for knowing how to run business better than we can, and they have help us tremendously to get think moving. Without vietnameses the land will mostly just collecting dust, so what is the benefit of that? At least, there are some job for the local, and that is how I see it. Hey, we got plenty land left for anyone who can develop it. If you want some, just applied for it, and it will be yours in no time.
1:14 PM : It smells Vietcong propaganda here. Go home vietcong
Hey, how do you know it is not Ah Khmer-Yuon? After all, they live in the same land, look the same, smell the same, and speak the same language and all.
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