A recovery response to horticulture...
An SNV COVID-19 farming recovery intervention programme with the Cambodian government's...
The Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition project (CHAIN) is an 8-year programme funded by SDC to support the development of the Horticultural Sector in Cambodia and follows a market systems approach.
Horticulture is an important part of the agricultural economy of Cambodia due to a rapidly increasing urban consumption demand for fruits and vegetables. More than 50% of all vegetables used to be imported from neighbouring countries due to price competitiveness, challenges in logistics, and the ability for year-round production.
Imported vegetables have serious pesticide residue related with food-safety issues. In phase one and 2 (2014 – 2020), CHAIN worked on promoting safe locally-produced vegetables and contributed to increasing local supply from 50% to 60% in the provinces. CHAIN began with a push approach to create a critical mass of producers and technologies reaching over 10,000 vegetable producing households.
Later on, the programme focussed on a B2B approach improving the services for inputs, extension and the business relationships, enabling 6000 farmers to graduate to semi-commercial or commercial producers. The last two years of the programme will consolidate these results, working in close collaboration with the national and provincial government on improving the enabling environment, including national policy and provincial strategies. Additionally, the programme will help develop greater climate resilience through promoting year-round production, smart water solutions, and water resource management in selected districts.
CHAIN applies various successful cornerstone interventions for market development:
Input-selling companies (vegetable seed companies like East-West, Angkor Green, irrigation equipment suppliers, and greenhouse suppliers) have increased their sales, some by tenfold in the 4 provinces. Many input retailers are establishing business linkages far in the provinces, and now you can buy horticultural inputs where none existed before.
Vegetable markets sellers report that an increasing amount of vegetables sold daily is coming from local produced areas. And consumers are inquiring and preferring these vegetables.
CHAIN will document the lessons and experiences of the programme into various knowledge products for local actors to use, and for practitioners/donors on markets systems.
Commercial and homestead producers and processors (male- and female-headed households) increase productivity by adapting improved technologies
Farmer groups and processor groups provide demand-oriented services and facilitate transparent and fair market engagement
Public and private sector actors deliver demand-driven, gender-sensitive and accountable advisory services