Sunday, August 31, 2008

Cambodia, UN-FAO launch emergency project for farmers

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are launching an emergency project through its Technical Cooperation Program (TCP) in Cambodia to help impoverished farmers boost agricultural production, said a joint press release received here Saturday.

The project is part of the FAO Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP) started in December 2007 and aims to boost the local food supply to soften the blow of soaring food prices, it said.

The FAO is focusing on immediate activities during this rainy season from July 2008 to Sept. 2008 and within the dry season from Nov. 2008 until Jan. 2009, so that by the next harvests there will be more food available locally at lower prices, it said.

In addition, the project is providing fertilizers, which are petroleum-based and thus out of reach of poor farmers as oil prices break new records every day, it said.

As the latest step of the project, a rice seed distribution ceremony to vulnerable farmers was held on Aug. 28 at Bati district, Takeo province, with the attendance of Chan Sarun, Cambodian Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, as well as Omar Salah Ahmed, FAO Representative in Cambodia, said the press release.

For the medium and long term plan, the FAO aims at a more comprehensive assistance program towards agricultural development by focusing on increased productivities, irrigation and improving the storage, it added.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those striking green & gold color of our rice fields will always stay in our minds and our hearts. With your help, it couldn't be better. Cambodia deserves to be the most colorful country in the region, because farming is our most favorite job! We enjoy doing it very much! and always. We also love to be able to feed the entire Universe, if giving the chance! Thank you everyone! You can be sure that you will make someone very very happy! & God Bless!


Ordinary Khmers

Anonymous said...

Yeah! too many people are making guns or high rise buildings and other stuff already. We just want to do farming and enjoy our wonderful nature while we still have. Please help us preserved Cambodia as green land forever and make our dream come true or why turning the land with the best geography for farming into something else anyway??? Well, you can build some of high rise buildings and......, but please save most of our land for farming.

Dying to stay green,

Anonymous said...

The problem with chemical fertilizer is that all the farmer's profit will go to the fertilizer company.

Also it's is bad for the farmers health and make the paddy parasite resistant. Chemical fertilizer will hardened the soil and destroy it.
Not to mention that client is is shunning rice with chemical fertilizer.

Think about it twice, natural fertilizer yield more crop and is available in Cambodia.

Don't be the slave of the fertilizer company.

Anonymous said...

The idea it to live from rice farming not to destroy it. So instead ask the UN for assistance in new water pump and irrigation system. Then you will do rice farming for many years to come.

By the way don't eat snakes they are the natural predators of rats. Preserver bats their dung are the best fertilizer.

Anonymous said...

To sicko above that think the factory fertilizer are harden the soil,please rethink again and again,buy the best one but not make in Vietnam and Thailand( you know Thai and Viet intention? Bat poop even better Cambodia made) And to the others thinking about green I hope that too, but in the reality it won't happen there three reason a Cambodia are double it population.
The foreigners brought a lot factory in-efficiency factories and cars
polluting Cambodia atmosphere.
And the last Cambodian governmental love the green to their own pocket not for the citizen. So to the one that hope for the green it will happen unless the government create the environmental Agency but they do not know ,how ? so have a positive about green!

Anonymous said...

Pinky did you read the article?

"In addition, the project is providing fertilizers, which are petroleum-based and thus out of reach of poor farmers as oil prices break new records every day, it said."

It is very annoying to the others when you don't use your head, when writing a comment.

Anonymous said...

Purple I did read the comment ,but with my experience that I live in the super power country ,your comment it just in your dream?

Anonymous said...

6:05 AM

You read it but you still don't understand.
The problem with you is you brain is is not super power.

Anonymous said...

6:05 AM

Most Khmer on this website are from abroad.

Please keep your boasting to the minimum.

Anonymous said...

8:33 and 9:05 who going to put you in jail just express your thought? I am just telling you the fact, am I wrong?
This is the typical khmer ,no one can express their knowledge except....?

Anonymous said...

hmmm I don't know how much this program can contribute to the farmer. This year, my family with joint venture my friends, invested nearly $5, 000.00 to do rice plantation for 40 hectares of land in Battambang province. I visited the rice field last month and called follow up with my contact person there nearly everyday, in respond there is not water. I can say thousand of hectares of rice field there already die. So this year the rice production will not good at all.

Last year so much water but this year not enough water. We doing the rain-based rice plantation because of have no irrigation system in place to do proper rice plantation.

When I went there for rice plantation, I just thought how can poor farmer survive from rice plantation, they lack of capital, skill, and the cost of production is increased three time compare to last year.

I hope our government will highly consider to dig irrigation system especially in Battambang where is main source of rice of Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

With $450 millions coming, what are you worrying about? It makes perfect sence for people from the land of just Sun & Sand & Salty Water to like land that is just the opposit or can produce green or plants, especially rice. Let's pray and let us hope that everything will work out for all. Hope and dream are free, you know. Why waste?

Can anyone with no hope or dream do anything? ( please use the word vision ) that might help you get it better. Good luck to us all!