Siem Reap, January 2012

Development Intervention 8:
Support of value chains in handicraft, fruits and vegetables in Siem Reap Province

Name Mr. Kang Phalla

Position EFK

Reporting period January, 2012

Main Activities

• Attending 3 field days which took place in Bakompleung, Ou and Sophy village. In Bakompleung village regarding to Bitter Gourd Planting, that have the 27 Participants was jointed were coming from 2 different districts :

- Prasatbakong district (2 villages)

- Soutr Nikum District (3 villages)

- Mr. Soun Chumnet commune leader of Chansor Trbong

In the event Mrs. Chon Seng the plot owner has sharing the experiences and explicated about bitter gourd planting to the attendants. All the participants they are very interesting about bitter gourd planting technique and the event dominated by detail questions to the plot holder (Mrs. Chon Seng) related to the technical aspect such as to seedling, soil preparation, planting technique, fertilizer usage, pesticide usage and variety handling. The second event took place in Ou village, Songvey commune, Chikreng district talk about cucumber which 22 participants were coming from two different districts (Soutr Nikum and Chikreng district) and other one took place in Sophy village, 3 districts residents were jointed such as Soutr Nikum, Pouk and Prasatbakong has 18 participants totally.

• Joint the meeting in Department of Commerce with Ms. Anna, Mr. Tep Beng Thay, and Mr. Thomas discuss about Plan of operation in 2012 and discuss about how to conduct the questionnaire with input retailers and collectors.

• · On the 13^th January 2012 attending the meeting RED program and PDA (Provincial Department Of Agriculture) validation of Plan Of Operation 2012 took place in PDA office. Participants: RED (Ms. Anna Stancher, Mr. Tep Beng Thay, Ten Samrach) and PDA (Mr. Meourng Sonitya Director and Mr. Pen Bunthoeun Deputy Director). The topic discussed were:

1. Review and validation of Plan of Operations for 2012

- Main activities in agriculture value chains

- Main activities for institutional capacity building

2. Objective for 2012-2013 and outline of strategy

- Proposed Plan of Operation

- Discussion

3. Coordination RED-PDA

- Communication lines and meetings

- PDA participation in steering Committee Meeting (January 2012)

- New district partner staff at Banteay Srei and Svay Leu

As the following discussion took time almost a half day, the Director of PDA Mr. Meourng Sonitya said that the plan of operation was quite good but on behalf of PDA have to discuss more deeply about this plan with all PDA staff to assure which point should be take out and which point should be insert more in plan of operation. So that PDA director asks for the next meeting to finalize validate the plan of operation on 19^th January 2012.

• · Attending the training course about Pest Management on Vegetable conducted by EW staffs which took place two different places, one in Sombath village, Khar Por commune which 15 participants were jointed and otherwise took place in Somrong village Khar Por commune, Soutr Nikum district which 9 Participants were attended. The event was dominated by detail question refer to insect, fungicide, cultivation technique and pesticide usage.

• · Attending exchange visit in Preykrouch village, Krbeyreal commune, Pouk district in which the participants came from 4 different districts (Prasabakong, Soutr Nikum, Pouk, and Siem Reap) and joint by Deputy Director of PDA Mr. Ben Buntheoun. The event took time a whole day on 26 January 2012, started from 8:00 am till 5: 00 pm, majority of attendances were old demo farms, new demo farms and collectors (50% are women). The exchange visit agenda are:

a. Opening program exchange visit was by Deputy Director of PDA

b. Showing the objective of exchange visit

c. Group division

d. Presentation of group

e. Advantage usage of modern equipment and variety

f. Question and Answers

g. Closing program

• · Collect the information from input supplies and collectors:

a. Input supplies interview was conducted with 8 retailers in Prasatbakong and Soutr Nikum district started from 2^nd week of January 2012, the information got was:

- (+) 8 input retailers can provide the correct info about seed, pesticide and fertilizer usage (some of input retailers maybe are not clear about dosage pesticide and know well about appropriate time to apply fertilizer on crops)

- Ordering/purchasing agriculture products is depending on business size of retailer if big input retailers they order 1-2 time/month and medium input retailers they order 3-4 time/month.

- Spending on purchasing agriculture products is about 1500$-3000$ for big input retailers and medium input retailers is 100$-300$.

- Income input retailers estimate percentage of total sale around 50%-70%

- The products of seed in most demand are EW Seed Company and pesticide form different of company in equal amounts.

- Input retailer stock is sufficient in products but some time is run out of stock also

- Input retailers get information about vegetable cultivation technique from EW staffs, asking clients, PDA and other is their own knowledge and experiences.

- Payment by client to input retailer is made: cash immediately and some on credit only especially neighborhoods that they know well each other.

- Discount is depending on quantity of products and kind of clients: if collectors purchase they get 5% discount and regular clients purchase they get 2-3% discount.

b. Collectors interview was conducted with 8 collectors in Prasatbakong and Soutr Nikum district. The information got was:

- Collectors has between 5-13 producers (regularly produce) and have clients in market average is 4-8 retailers and 2-4 wholesalers which based in Phsar Leur and Samaky market

- When collectors start work with new farmers the collectors will be providing farmer such as technical advice, pre-finance support (buy seed, fertilizer, pesticide, fungicide and tools) by no interest rate and the farmers will be repay back to collectors when harvest time.

- Collectors can advice to farmer correct on variety handling and can’t advice on pesticide usage and technical issue completely exactly

- The distance of village to other village around 1-4 Km

- Average vegetable production most producers is 40 Kg/day

- Mostly collectors can purchase average vegetable production around 200Kg/day

- Mostly collectors paying on purchasing vegetable from the farmers average is 30$-50$ per day, main spending in collectors investment are pay on purchasing products from farmer and purchase input for farmers.

- The vegetable crops prices raise always during the year good prices are long bean, chilli and egg plant and crops has often very low price are cucumber and crucifers

- Vegetable crops which easy to transport are long bean and cucumber and the crops which difficult to transport are cauliflower and bitter gourd

- The crops can be easily to preserved in time of over production are cucumber and chilli

- The vegetable products which would be rise good prices, but are not yet produced are chilli, egg plant and tomato

- Related to the market information most collectors always sell products to the same clients and the main complain of client in market are bad quality of products , high prices, bad packaging

- Mostly perception of collectors the main completion in their business is importers

- The price setting to purchase vegetable products depends on market prices and the payment of retailers and wholesalers made is immediately

- Suppliers networks some are produce vegetable regularly and some are not irregularly because of some season like rainy season they have no up land area

Next steps

• · Field visit collectors to discuss about training need assessment

• · Go to PP attending the work shop about value chain

• · Field visit and technical advice to the producers

• · Field visit demo farms and technical advice