- ADB-supported Climate Resilient Rice Commercialization Sector Development Program (#RiceSDP) in Cambodia improves policy issues to facilitate climate-resilient agriculture and addresses existing constraints to rice commercialization in order to boost economic and livelihood opportunities.
- Rice SDP in Cambodia helps stakeholders in the rice value chain transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture. It strengthens agriculture value chain support services and pilot testing of a Weather Indexed Crop Insurance (WICI) scheme.
- Rice SDP introduces new initiatives to Cambodia such as paddy drying and storage facilities, crop insurance, and laser land levelling through a Public Private Partnership approach.
ADB is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia to implement the Climate Resilient Rice Commercialization Sector Development Program, or Rice-SDP, to increase access to finance, equipment and infrastructure that improves rice seed quality, yields, post-harvest technology, and export potential.
The program improves policy issues to facilitate climate-resilient agriculture, addresses existing constraints to rice commercialization, supports the commune land use planning process, and conducts capacity building at the national and local level through high priority interventions implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
For ADB and the Royal Government of Cambodia it’s all part of improving economic and livelihood opportunities.
Transcript
This is Cambodia’s rice-growing heartland. Battambang, Kampong Thom and Prey Veng provinces produce much of Cambodia’s rice for domestic consumption and, crucially, its high-grade export quality rice.
These regions are essential to Cambodia’s agrarian-based economy on which up to 80% of the population depends for their livelihoods.
But despite decades of solid economic growth, many sectors of the rice production industry remains vulnerable to climate change events, and lacks knowledge of modern rice production and processing techniques.
In response, ADB is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia to implement the Climate Resilient Rice Commercialization Sector Development Program, or Rice-SDP, to increase access to finance, equipment and infrastructure that improves rice seed quality, yields, post-harvest technology, and export potential.
Rice Mill Owner Uy Chan Leaphea, Owner, Lim Heng Leap Rice Mill, Kampong Thom Province
“This rice drying machine component of the project is mainly focused on improving export rice production quality. With this capacity we can dry up to 300T-500T of paddy rice per day. With good rice seed we can produce a good rice crop. With a good crop processed through these drying machines, we have quality rice. It meets the rice export standard set by rice import countries all over the world.
Rice-SDP operates in three key areas:
- Supports and accelerates implementation of the government’s Strategy on Agriculture and Water, and the Rice Policy
- Tackles constraints in agricultural value chains, including farm productivity through strategic interventions, and high priority measures
- Increases longer-term measures for domestic food security, rice export enhancement, and trade facilitation
Meas Pisey, Chief of Ansong Farmer’s Water User Community, Prey Veng Province
“This location is often flooded and farmers can’t grow good quality rice during the rainy season in Kampong Trobeak Commune. The water usage group was formed for farmers to help them in rice production, so now they can increase their rice production from two times to three times per year.”
Rice-SDP aims to improve policy issues to facilitate climate-resilient agriculture, addresses existing constraints to rice commercialization, supports the commune land use planning process, and conducts capacity building at the national and local level through high priority interventions implemented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
H.E. Ros Seilava, Secretary of State (MEF) and Rice-SDP Program Director
“The main purpose of Rice-SDP is to promote rice commercialization and simultaneously address resilience of its underlying agro-ecological system. Rice-SDP introduces some new initiatives to Cambodia such as paddy drying and storage facilities, crop insurance, and laser land levelling through a Public Private Partnership approach.”
Rice-SDP helps stakeholders in the rice value chain transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture. It strengthens agriculture value chain support services and pilot testing of a Weather Indexed Crop Insurance (WICI) scheme.
Nhoeng Nhoeung, Officer, Agriculture Officer Bavel District, Battambang: “Our country faces climate change issues, sometime there is rain and sometimes drought, therefore our government established the WICI scheme to help our farmers when there is too much rain or drought so they can be insured and get reimbursed for the loss of their rice crops.”
For ADB and the Royal Government of Cambodia it’s all part of improving economic and livelihood opportunities.
