Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Wednesday that agricultural innovations hold key to sustainable production intensification and increasing farmers’ income.
In a joint press release, Ho Puthea, deputy director of the MAFF’s General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA), said farmers, fishers and forest workers are “critically important” for the food security of Cambodians.
About 1.9 million households in Cambodia are engaging in agriculture production to feed roughly 15.8 million people, he said, adding that in 2012, one agri-food sector worker had to feed 2.8 people, but by 2030, one agri-food system worker will have to feed up to 4.5 people.
To meet this challenge, innovation is required in agri-food systems, the press release said, adding that to enhance the identification and development of new agricultural innovations, the GDA and the Royal University of Agriculture, with support from FAO, jointly organized an agricultural market fair and innovation fair on Tuesday.
People visit an agricultural market and innovation fair at the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Feb. 15, 2022. Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Wednesday that agricultural innovations hold key to sustainable production intensification and increasing farmers' income. (FAO/Handout via Xinhua)
The fair engaged around 60 participants including farmer groups, agricultural cooperatives, agricultural entrepreneurs, private sector, experts, and policymakers, it said.
MAFF’s undersecretary of state Chan Saruth said the participants shared their experiences and discussed innovative ways and tools that enable farmers to raise yield, manage inputs more effectively, improve the quality of their products, conserve natural resources and adapt to climate change.
“This important event aims to provide opportunities for various actors within the Agriculture Innovation System in Cambodia to share their experience and explore opportunities for collaborating in supporting agriculture innovation processes through different services, projects and products,” he said.
“To help the majority of rural population, whose livelihood is strongly relying on farming and natural resources, we need to work closely together to improve agricultural innovation and build capacities of actors at all levels, including development partners, local authorities, and policymakers, in order to efficiently facilitate innovation process and build a strong agricultural innovation system in Cambodia,” said FAO Cambodia head of operations Antonio Schiavone.