Report of Workshop on “Commercial Vegetable Farming”

on 21^st June 2012 in Soutr Nikum

        I.            Introduction

I.I Background

The Regional Economic Development Program (RED)-Green Belt is an initiative implemented by the Government of Cambodia in the Siem Reap Province and supported by GIZ. The objective of the program is to improve the participation of the poor in added value activities, with focus on their integration into Siem Reap markets. Target beneficiaries of the initiative are poor producers, entrepreneurs and traders in the rural areas. This project hasone component focused on vegetable value chain, the component supports small-holders to initiate vegetable production on a commercial basis and facilitates linkages farmers to collectors and traders. To promote vegetable production in off season in upland areas the component conducted a motivational workshop in Soutr Nikum District, Siem Reap province. This workshop was organized jointly by Component 1 and Component 2 of RED- Green Belt.

      II.            Objectives

1.      Participants received ideas and technical tips from successful vegetable farmers

2.      Participants know the level of profits that can be generated through commercial vegetable production

3.      Participants received information on quality inputs and know where they can purchase them

4.      Participants who are interested enlisted in trainings in vegetable production

    III.            Participants: the workshop  brought together around 100 people from different institutions as mentioned below:

1.      Deputy Director of Provincial Department of Agriculture

2.      Partners staffs (PDA)

3.      Local Authority (Commune Leader, Commune Council , Village Chief)

4.      Agriculture Input suppliers

5.      Private Partners ( EW Seed International company, Agrotechvita, and Japan Organic Fertilizer) =7 people

6.      Farmersfrom 6 villages =75 farmer

7.      Collectors

8.      Demo farmers (speaker)

   IV.            Overall Program:

The workshop was opened by Ms. Heng Kunvuthy  Chief of Agriculture Office Soutr Nikum District. The program was set up to be as interactive as possible, increase motivation of participants and create awareness about vegetable production.

Time	Session	Responsible Facilitators
AM 7.30 – 8.00 (30 minutes)	Session 0 -  Arrival of participants §  Filling of attendance lists	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy
AM 8.00 – 8.20 (20 minutes)	Session 1/ Part 1 - Opening	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy
AM 8.20 – 8.30 (10 minutes)	Walk to demo farm plot	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy (organize move and introduce demo farmer and East-West staff)
AM 8.30 – 9.50 (80 minutes)	Session 1/Part 2: Demo farmer presents demo farm and guides visit through his vegetable plot	§  Mr. Kheng Nit §  Mr. Pholla
AM 9.50 – 10.10 (20 minutes)	Walk back to meeting place and break (snack)	§
AM 10.10 – 10.30 (20 minutes)	Session 2/Part 1 – Wrap up of field visit and overview of vegetable value chain	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy
AM 10.30 – 11.00 (30 minutes)	Session 2/Part 2 – Presentation of collector and questions	§  Ms. Koul Thun §  Mr. San Sen §  Mr. Pholla
AM 11.00 – 11.30 (30 minutes)	Session 2/part 3 – Presentation of second demo farmer on economic benefits	§  Mr. Heng Ham (from Krabey Riel) §  Mr. Pholla
AM 11.30 – 12.30	Lunch break
PM 12.30 – 13.00 (30 minutes)	Session 3/Part 1 – Presentation of input supplier	§  Mr. Som Oum §  Ms. Chae Noum §  Mr. Pholla
PM 13.00 – 13.15 (15 minutes)	Session 3/Part 2 – Introduction of 3 input supplier company representatives	§  Agrotech, East-West, The Earth
PM 13.15 – 14.30 (75 minutes)	Session 3/Part 3 – Input supplier “fair”	§  Agrotech, East-West, The Earth
PM 14.30 – 14.40	Afternoon break
PM 14.40 – 15.00 (20 minutes)	Session 4/Part 1 – Presentation of training offer and registration system	§  Mr. Kumnet (EW)
PM 15.00 – 15.15 (15 minutes)	Session 4/Part 2 -  Registration of interested farmers	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy
PM 15.15 – 15.35 (20 minutes)	Session 4/Part 3 – Offer and registration of potential new demonstration farmers	§  Mr. Kumnet (EW)
PM 15.35 – 15.50 (15 minutes)	Session 5: Workshop evaluation and closing	§  Ms. Heng Kun Vuthy

a)      Visit Demo Farm:

Subsequent to opening and introduction by Ms. Heng Kunvuthy Chief of Agriculture Office Soutr Nikum District, participants visited a demo farm which is located close to workshop venue. The objective of the visit is to show the participants a real practical example, good experiences, emphasis on new techniques and yields. To make this visit more interesting to participants the owner of the of the plot Mr. Kheng Net was presenting his previous experiences versus current experiences and what changed with his vegetable cultivation, Mr. Kheng Net openly shared his good experiences he gave a presentation at the workshop about main points to remember in vegetable cultivation are: Seed selection, fertilizer usage, marketing survey price ….ect.

b)      Wrap up of field visit and Overview of vegetable value chain
.
This session was conducted by Ms. Heng Kunvuthy, The objective was to show the participants of the importance of thinking about the market requirement of vegetable, and relevance cooperation in value chain actors, this session explained the role of different actors in the value chain.

In order to make this session more dynamic we conducted a plenary discussion: facilitator asks open questions that related to growing and selling, the question are such as: what is important for farmers to sell successfully according to market requirement?

Introduction vegetable value chain:

c)       Presentation of Collector (Mr. San Sen) the objective is to let the famers understand the role of collector in vegetable value chain, Market needs and possible support form collectors.

d)      Presentation of Demo Farmer (Mr. Heng Ham) objective of this session is to let farmers understand profits that could be made from commercial vegetable growing.

Mr. Heng Ham live in Krobeyreal commune, Siem Reap province, he supported by RED as demo farmer since the beginning
.
He reported “ This cooperation has changed my family livelihood, why like this because after I got training, new technique and quality input (seed, fertilizer …) from RED, my vegetable cultivation getting better yield more and more which made the good profit for my family. So this workshop i would like to share good experiences and economic analysis about bitter gourd to the participants: 

 Economic Analysis Data about bitter gourd of Mr. Heng Ham

N	Items	Quantity	Price	Total Price
1	Seed	3 package	1800	54000
2	Nitrogen	6 Kg	2600	15600
3	15 15 15	35 Kg	3000	10 5000
4	Pesticide	1 bottle	12000	12000
5	Oshine	4 package	2500	10000
6	Abamectine	1 bottle	10000	10000
7	Fungicide	1 package	10000	10000
8	Prema	1 bottle	20000	20000
9	Trellising	5 pieces (5time)	18000	18000
10	Labor	30 days	10000	300000
Total Expense				55 4600
Total Yield= 2047 kg
Total income Total Income			1647 kg (quality number 1) x 1600 r/kg = 263 5200
			​400 kg (quality number 2) x 800 r/kg= 32 0000
			263 5200+ 320000		= 295 5200
Profit = Total income – Total Expense			295 5200-55 4600		= 2 400 600 riels

Mr. Heng Ham also mentions the different techniques before and after training:

1)      Before got training:

-          Used local seed (keep by himself)

-          Fertilizer application through use manual and nitrogen only

-          Pest and diseases control: did not know clearly what is happened and don’t know what fungicide is so the usage of pesticide is not correct and over dosage and no effective.

-           Market linkage did not have collectors network

2)      After getting the training:

-          Use modern seed

-          Use correct fertilizer: basal fertilizer, side dressing fertilizer

-          Use new technology: trellising, plastic mulch, tray for seedling production

-          Pest and diseases control: know clearly what is happening, know what pesticide to use, could tread the diseases like fungicide and pest.

-          Is linked to regular collector

More than this he also confirm that we have to know clearly what is market requirement, and what is the good time for production, on the other-hand importance should be follow given to workinghard,  taking care, trying hard.

e)      Presentation of input supply (Mr. Soum Oun) this session aimed to show participants an input supplier selling good quality inputs and delivering embedded service. Mr. Soum Oun is the local input supply in Pople commune, Soutr Nikum district. Amongmany input suppliers in Soutr Nikum district, he has many clients and he is so active with provide good advice to farmers. On the other hand he is not only an input supplier, but he is farmer growing vegetable also, so he have real experiences with vegetable production. More than this Mr. Soum Oun also mention about his observes the differences in the economic situation of farmer that have started vegetable production as commercial basis, he said that there is a poor family living in the same commune as him, this family didn’t have any job to do, it means that they have no rice field and other activities, the family worked only growing vegetable, the first time that family bought  cucumber seed to grow only a few packages because they did not have enough capital or experience. After that
,
this family tried hard and took care of its work and followed his advice. As a result the family could get good yield and get high profit. Cycle after cycle this family increased the plot surface more and more and the profit got high also, they bought rice field and rice for family consumption, so this family could change the livelihood, become well-off by taking on vegetable farming as a commercial activity.

f)       Introduction of 3 input supplier company representatives (EW Seed international, Agrotechvita and Bayon Heritage Company) this session we would like to let participants know - who are the companies? What are the important elements to consider in order practicing efficient farming? Every company had a stand where participants could see their products and ask questions.

g)      Trade fair (EW Seed international, Agrotechvita and Bayon Heritage Company) Objective: farmers get to know the products of each company and have the opportunity to ask questions to company representatives. Participants were divided in 3 group and, on rotation basis, visited each company stand for 20 minute

h)      Announcement training events offering and registering (by Mr. Kumnet) this presentation offered training opportunity to participants after the workshop so the farmer could register for training and the place will take place at demo farm which locate close to their village or the same their village also.

i)        Workshop evaluation :

The workshop, starting with the visit to a demo-farm with a bittergourd-crop , then the presentation of  successfully cooperating farmer, collector and input supplier made clear what the tasks and roles are of the different players in the vegetable value chain. The small trade fare event with three companies gave insights in the wide palette of modern agricultural inputs, which is nowadays widely used to produce vegetable for the markets. They are very well done moderation of the workshop and the explanations to vegetable value chain of Ms. Heng Kunvuthy and her team made a real exchange of ideas of all the participants possible. This motivational workshop in Soutr Nikom was the first of it’s kind within RED Green-Belt. All the participants could gather a lot of new experiences which will improve their economic activities in the future