CAMBODIA National IPM Programme

Facts and figures Operational since: 1993 Implementing agency: National IPM Program of DOA-MAFF Partners: Provincial Departments of Agriculture and other IOs/NGOs (World Education, Handicap International, Srer Khmer, CEDAC, ATSA) Donors: FAO, IDRC, IRRI, DANIDA, Norway, EU, CIDA, SIDA, AusAID, World Bank, IFAD, UNDP FFS implemented: > 7,500 FFS Farmers trained: About 150,000 farmers (30 % female) Trainers active: 500 Government Trainers (40 % female); 2,700 Farmer Trainers (45 % female) Main crops: Rice, vegetables, maize, mung bean, watermelon

Achievements:
IPM-FFS graduates, growing rice, yard long bean and tomatoes, benefit from significantly higher yields and profits. Rice IPM farmers obtain 24% higher yields and 54% higher incomes. Yard long bean and tomato farmers claim 15% higher yields and 38-45% higher incomes, the latter mostly attributed to 80% reductions in pesticide costs.

At the level of local communities, post-FFS IPM groups have been established and registered as formally recognized associations, which facilitates applications for grants from the Commune Development Funds, established under the nationwide implemented Deconcentration and Decentralization Programme.

At the national level, there is a significant political commitment towards IPM and FFS-based farmer education. The National IPM Programme is recognized by the Royal Government of Cambodia as a key national farmer outreach initiative for the promotion of IPM, food safety, environmental protection and rural development.

From practicing IPM in their fields, farmers have reported reductions of:      • 48% in spray events      • 51% in dose      • 50% in costs      • 59% in WHO Class 1 pesticides      • 47% in EIQ field values

Sustainability:
• In 1998, MAFF declared Integrated Pest and Crop Management (IPM) as one of the country's key crop production strategies with the aim of making IPM the standard approach to crop management.

• In 1998, MAFF issued a Ministerial Proclamation on the establishment of the National IPM Program to facilitate coordination of all IPM activities in Cambodia and also issued a Ministerial Proclamation listing pesticides including banned, restricted and permitted products.

• IPM\FFS approaches have been adopted by government and development agencies, including NGOs. Numerous NGOs implement and support rural development activities, making use of the FFS farmer education approach.

• FFS alumni have formed groups and associations to sustain local IPM education and action research efforts. Government and Farmer Trainers have established networks to provide services to local IPM programmes.

Innovations:
• Cambodia pioneered work on Farmer Life Schools (FLS) as a response to the threat of HIV/AIDS to sustainable agriculture and rural development by means of its systemic damage to farm family livelihoods. The FLS expanded the concept of agro-ecosystem analysis to a critical analysis of human health prevention and management and factors influencing productivity and livelihoods in
rural communities. For more information and training materials: http://www.vegetableipmasia.org/Traning Materials.html

• The FFS-approach has been applied to plant genetic resource management, integrated farming systems (rice-fish-vegetable-livestock) and systematic explorations of System of Rice Intensification with a particular focus on farmers learning how to grow healthy root systems.

• Based on ASEAN GAP, local GAP standards and guidelines were developed in Khmer and endorsed by MAFF. A fortified IPM-FFS-GAP training curriculum is being developed.

• Promoting IPM products through the development of IPM villages/communes and facilitating linkages to market access and food safety projects including the formation for chemical-free and organic associations.

For further information:
http://www.vegetableipmasia.org/Countries/cambodia.htm