Vegetable is an essential crop for daily consumption and exchange in the market for money, as well as other necessities consumables for family life. In this sense, the Royal Government of Cambodia has been actively paying attention to increase the productivity, quantity and quality of vegetable products in order to promote national economic growth through supports from professional institutions and development partners for strengthening production capacity and reducing vegetable import from neighboring countries. However, those supports are still not sufficient to meet project objectives due to a number of barriers to vegetable production. One of them is the lack of water and water sources for irrigating vegetables, especially in the dry season. In regards to improve living standards of local farmers through vegetable production, the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia are strongly active to foster agri-business of vegetable, chicken and rice products, in which the AIMS project provided wells with reservoir plus solar installation under the Sector Development Facilities (SDF) to target vegetable producer organizations in Kampot province. Three wells with reservoir plus solar installation have been provided in three villages such as 1) Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, Trapeang Pring commune and Tuek Chhou district; 2) Sre Leav village, Trapeang Phleang commune, Chhouk district; and 3) Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, Trapeang Pring, Teuk Chhou district.Vegetable is an essential crop for daily consumption and exchange in the market for money, as well as other necessities consumables for family life. In this sense, the Royal Government of Cambodia has been actively paying attention to increase the productivity, quantity and quality of vegetable products in order to promote national economic growth through supports from professional institutions and development partners for strengthening production capacity and reducing vegetable import from neighboring countries. However, those supports are still not sufficient to meet project objectives due to a number of barriers to vegetable production. One of them is the lack of water and water sources for irrigating vegetables, especially in the dry season. In regards to improve living standards of local farmers through vegetable production, the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia are strongly active to foster agri-business of vegetable, chicken and rice products, in which the AIMS project provided wells with reservoir plus solar installation under the Sector Development Facilities (SDF) to target vegetable producer organizations in Kampot province. Three wells with reservoir plus solar installation have been provided in three villages such as 1) Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, Trapeang Pring commune and Tuek Chhou district; 2) Sre Leav village, Trapeang Phleang commune, Chhouk district; and 3) Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, Trapeang Pring, Teuk Chhou district.
Specifically, for this case study, we will measure the benefits or efficiencies that the members of the business clusters of vegetable production in Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, Trapeang Pring commune, Teuk Chhou district of Kampot province received from the project SDF.
During March 2022, activities related to the committee establishment ,the internal regulations safeguarding the well, the document preparation and member allocation for the well usage were carried out in accordance with the project guidelines. The members of this well with reservoir plus solar installation are volunteers from nine families, mostly women, who belong to the vegetable production clusters in Trapeang Pring commune, Teuk Chhou district. The nine members have a total cultivated area of 3.9 hectares and are estimated to be able to produce 17.8 tons of annual vegetables such as tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, green mustard, cucumber, long beans, and white corn. And have a buy-and-sell contract with local traders through a guarantee of supply to traders about 7 tons per year and price is based on market. In addition, the organization members have agreed to pay a contribution of 3,000 riels per month for well safeguarding from the day of committee established.
Mr. Kong Vanny, Chief of Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, said, “Originally, farmers who grew vegetables in this area used water from small ponds and shallow wells near their houses. In the dry season from the end of February, there was not enough water for growing vegetables and human consumption, especially long-lived vegetables, including tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., which means that the production area reduced from 0.30 hectares to 0.10 hectares per family and the amount produced was also small”. Ms. Phat Mom is a farmer from Trapeang Pring Khang Cheung village, said, “After the construction of the well with reservoir plus solar installation during September 2021, the organization members located around the well had enough water for vegetables irrigation than before that was so difficult by having to tap water from a pond about 250 meters away from the fields to irrigate vegetables”.
She also mentioned that “Before receiving the well with reservoir plus solar installation, she planted cauliflower only one cycle on an area of about 400 square meters, which yields about 1,200 kg and sells for 4,500 riel per kilogram.
She added, “For growing vegetables, she spent about 600,000 riel on agricultural inputs, not including her own labor, and her gross income was about 5,400,000 riel. The profit she received was 4,800,000 riels. In particular this year, after getting enough water from the well with reservoir plus solar installation, she increased the planting season by another 400 square meters on the cauliflower crop yielded about 1,500 kilograms and sold for 6,000 riel/kg. She earned a gross income of 9,000,000 riels. She spent about 1,370,000 riels on agricultural inputs, land preparation and maintenance, and other expenses, then she received a net profit of 7,630,000 riels. Apart from this, she also grows other crops such as green mustard, water morning glory and cabbage.
Similarly, Ms. Pich Sin, who donated the site for the solar well said, “She and her widowed family have been growing vegetables for many years. Her vegetable cultivation relies entirely on natural canal water sources and digging holes in the canal to get water to irrigate vegetables. No matter how deep the canal, the amount of water from the pit could not be used to irrigate vegetables, which meant that every dry season came worries arose for her and sometime she hopes for a rainy month could be a source of relief for her. But things did not turn out as expected, and her final decision was to reduce the area under cultivation and not grow any long-lived vegetables that needed more water. Her main vegetable crops are cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles and long beans. As for the cost of her production before the solar well for agricultural inputs twice per season, regardless of personal labor, about 400,000 riels. The yield is about 700 kg, which is about 3,000,000 riels. Compared to her net profit of about 2,600,000 riels.
For this year, the first and second harvests have been completed, with a yield similar to last year. But prices seem to be lower due to more farmers are growing the same crop (cauliflower) and harvesting at the same time. For the third planting this year, she planted three kinds of vegetables, including cucumbers, long beans, and eggplant rounds, at a cost of about 800,000 riels in agricultural inputs, harrows, and labor. The amount of fruit obtained from the three types of vegetables is 1,500 kg, selling at an average price of 3,000 riels/kg, with a total gross income of 4,500,000 riels. After she settled with the expenses, the net profit was 3,700,000 riels.
Currently, AIMS project is trying to find all possible ways in collaboration with relevant institutions, the private sector and mobilize development partners to receive material and financial support for potential farmers in other areas, especially smallholder farmers in rural areas. Among the SDF provided by the project, well with reservoir plus solar installation is the most important and essential for potential vegetable producer organization. Nevertheless, it does not have sufficient water sources for intensive irrigation, especially in dry season.
Specific geographical location and gathering farmers to organize group production based on market demand is a key requirement for developing a value chain for agricultural products, especially the opportunity to receive support from relevant institutions to strengthen production and marketing of production groups towards sustainable agri-business. The well with reservoir plus solar installation that supported by AIMS project actually responded to the real needs of producer organizations who need more water sources for vegetable production and helped to increase farmers’ productivity and vegetable yields for higher income. [Download]
