(1) Help farmers increase cultivation efficiency, reduce costs, and take more profit
In this new mandate, we are planning to build an economy that relies mainly on agriculture, in which cashew nuts have been given great attention in the previous mandates under Samdech Techo Hun Sen. We want to be efficient in doing (agriculture), with the Ministry organizing modern agricultural communities, not just for cashew nuts, but for other crops as well […] the main goal is to help farmers increase cultivation efficiency, reduce costs […] and the important thing is that when they sell (agricultural produces), no matter how much income they make, how much do they make as profit. That means after cutting costs, how much profit is left in your pocket […]
(2) RGC deploys agricultural extension workers; funds for price interventions and organizing modern agricultural communities
Therefore, the ministry and related institutions have found a formula to help our farmers. If you do it individually, it may be difficult for you to seek help both in terms of loans and technical assistance. In the past, though we did provide people with assistance, sometimes we did not help all of them equally […] (in the field of) agriculture, for this new mandate, we are – firstly, to deploy agricultural officers according to location; secondly, to deploy some funds for price intervention, and thirdly, (organize) modern agricultural communities. I have kept abreast with this work [[…] as I have heard a lot from the minister […] today, I want to hear the personal feelings of those who have entered the community, especially in the the district of Prasaat Sambor, which is the first to start such model […]
(3) Which is better, before and after entering the modern agricultural community?
If you force people to enter the modern farming community (MFC), it won’t happen. The best way to do it is to show the actual results and let people compare outcomes between before entering the community and after entering the community. Is it successful or not? If not, please let me know and I will cancel the program. We then will think of something new […] these are formulas that we have thought about and researched in order to assist our farmers […] I encourage you to share your opinion. Don’t you worry about the presence of the minister and the provincial governor here. I want to know how your opinion regarding this method. Is the method that we are helping effective? […] you have been doing it yourself, you are experts (on cashew farming) for decades now. (Samdech Thipadei is having conversation with cashew farmers and community leaders) […]
(4) The most cashews grown in Kompong Thom
In the government plan, Kampong Thom province (has the largest cashew plantation). We grow cashews in many provinces, in Preah Vihear, Tbong Khmum, but Kampong Thom has the most […] in the future, we will organize a large industrial park center to reduce the outflow of cashews to neighboring (countries) […] we want to find a direct market. A Japanese company plans to expand the export of 20,000 tons of cashews from Cambodia […] they will buy from here, process them in factories, and export them to Japan and Europe. Therefore, the price can be guaranteed, but only if the producers are organized so that they can go into contracts with. A company that buys 20,000 tons cannot contract with 30,000 or 10,000 farmers separately […]
(5) The industrial park to attract large processing investment in Kompong Thom
In the future, we will have an industrial park to attract large investments to invest in processing in Kampong Thom province […] through which, international-level production facilities will come closer to you […] that way, we can ensure higher prices than the current ones, more stable than the current ones, without having to worry about a few […] we have some exports and canned products, but they are still few. The government’s goal is not to have them go to all provinces, but to gather them in one place, and Kampong Thom province is the target province (for cashew nuts). In the time to come, the market will be in Kampong Thom. A sister who questioned just now “how do we find a market for the cashews,” and we will address that by attracting markets directly with Kampong Thom province cashew farming community […]
(6) Organizing communities for the state to work with and help farmers
Companies are gradually moving forward, and we need to organize them. Buyers are one thing, but producers need to organize (as a community) to be effective because exporting requires maintaining consistent quality. We can’t have a community of 1,000 or 500 hectares producing all different varieties, and with different techniques. If we can organize farmers into community, applying fertilizer according to the standard, it would be good. Farmers can sell (the produces) at a high price, as long as they (produce) according to the standard. Organizing communities is for the state to be able to work with to help farmers cultivate and produce according to the standard […] guaranteeing prices is not about multiplying the numbers every year and adding money to everything. It is what should we do to guarantee for the market, for the buyers, and guarantee quality […]
(7) Let us identify the problems and seek solutions together
You guys told me about your success. I want to hear about the challenges? I heard about the success stories from the ministry. I want to hear about the problems that are not going smoothly […] we all find problems together, and seek solutions together. Last year, we spent a lot on production cost before we joined (the community). Now, in the first year, we reduced our expenses, but we still have some problems with payments. In the time to come, it will be smoother, and we will be more united. If there are more people in the community, we will need more fertilizer. When you buy it in bulk, you would be able to negotiate for a better unity price […] as long as this (cashew farming) community is successful, the communities all over the country going to be created. We should be ready for them. All we do is for everyone to be successful, […]
(8) Community is transforming from individuals working alone to working together
As a community, it must agree to do something, have a common standard, and work together. Otherwise, the community will no longer be a community. The community is transforming from individuals working alone to working together, like hundreds of thousands of families. So, everyone must agree on that principle in order to score achievements […] you need to unite and think together, and not to part ways halfway, or suddenly one group says it won’t work […] and lose trust. Until the community trusts each other, then they can negotiate with outsiders (successfully). Capital could be given only when they trust the community. Right? […] until there is agreement, harmony, and trust. Once you are united, the state could help. We no longer rely on others […] we want to produce and export to Europe ourselves and supply the local market rather than import […]
(9) Each famer in the community is a technician
When the community is making progress, it has the working capital and is no longer in difficulty. You have own capital and people trust you. We are successful […] at that time, the community has its own technology, capital, etc., and has its own technicians. The ministry (of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) only intervened to help for the first or second year. After you are familiar with what you need to do (the community will be able to operate on its own), unless there is new technology that need new training. However, the community has its own technicians. Each farmer is a technician. Now we help to direct it in the right direction. When there is a new method, we will continue to help with this task […]
(10) The ones who get benefits are farmers/people, the target of community creation
When we laid out the policy, some people said we were just bunch of theorists, who didn’t know anything, and didn’t do anything. When we laid out what we had done, they said we were bragging. When we made the announcement in Phnom Penh, they said we only spoke on the microphone, didn’t come down in person. When we came down in person, they said we were acting. The ones who actually do the works always make mistakes. The one who only talked never made mistakes. The talkers are 4,000 kilometers from and have never come down in Cambodia. We’re not bothered by what they say. The important thing is that we do it for real. The ones who get the benefits, the ones who see it for real are the actual farmers/people, the ones who are the target of the creation of this community […]
(11) Pondering a similar formula farming community for rice
This year, Sen Kra Ob rice sells for more than 1,000 riel per kilo. We want to have a similar formula, the same (rice) farming community (as this cashew community). This year, we intervene 150 million USD in working capital to the rice mill community. Since India is exporting rice (again after it has stopped for a while), Vietnam is lowering the price of its rice to compete with Indian rice. Some of our people grow the (Vietnamese) rice variety and export to Vietnam. So, the price goes up and down accordingly. Regarding the Sen Kra Ob rice (the Khmer rice variety), it remains at a price of more than 1,000 riel per kilo […] The Ministry of Agriculture (Forestry and Fisheries) has been monitoring this rice market regularly […]
(12) Less young farmers and husband and wife are income earners – the expected evolution
When the economy grows, some countries need labor in industry. Some work in banks, some in factories, some in construction, some in hotels, restaurants, in services, some go to study IT, etc. In Takeo, for instance, there are almost no (young) farmers because their children go to work in Phnom Penh […] in rural areas, the elderly can still watch their grandchildren, while their children go to work. That’s how it evolves. In Phnom Penh now, both husbands and wives have to work (to earn incomes altogether) […]
(13) The industrial park will stabilize price of cashew and provide stable income
In Kampong Thom, we will launch an agro-industrial zone, or some called it an industrial park. They will invest hundreds of millions to build a processing factory […] cashew can be processed into many things. The nuts can be canned and exported, the shells can be ground into oil, the flesh can be ground into a few things, and they can make juice too […] when the factory opens here, some Kampong Thom people will go to work there. That will be a stable income source. They will no longer worry about price fluctuations because they go to work and receive a salary – a stable income. Therefore, in a family that used to only work on the farm, they will be able to split up labor – some of them still work (on the farm) and some of them work (at the factory) to earn extra incomes […]
(14) Farmers’ children and grandchildren do not have to remain farmers
The other day the province requested a principle to create a special economic zone to attract large factories, not just in the garment industry, but large factories such as the ones we have in Pursat, where there is a car assembly factory […] which can bring (employment and) income to the people. It is not necessary that the children and grandchildren of farmers have to remain farmers. Sometimes, some farmers have children who can go to school, and work as doctors, etc. For a family that has 3 hectares of land to feed 7 children, […] when the children grow up, there will be 7 families, and 3 hectares of land cannot support them any more […]
(15) The way farmers organize this community will benefit their children
Only when you are becoming parents yourselves that you know how much parents love their children. In childhood, when parents discipline us, each of us might have thought that our parents did not love us. Until we grow up and have our own children, we realize that there is nothing greater than our children. Each of us thinks about our children, wants them to be knowledgeable and healthy […] the way we organize this community will benefit our children. That’s how we think about our children. We are the one to face with difficulties, to try first, but after everything works as planned, our children will be better off than we were. Well, that is about all I needed to say as I have to go see another place where people are making efforts to save rice from drought […]./.