Dr. Yang Saing Koma (MAFF) chaired training sessions for Commune Agriculture Officers (CAOs) in Prey Veng on 28 October and Kampong Thom on 30 October 2026. The training was organized by the Better Rice Initiative Cambodia (BRIC), a project implemented in cooperation with MAFF and GIZ.
The training aimed to strengthen CAOs’ knowledge and practical skills in supporting rice farmers to prepare for the possible impacts of El Niño during the coming dry season, which begins in November. The focus was on improving drought resilience while increasing the net income of rice farming.
Key Training Topics
The training covered three main areas:
- Managing production costs and net income: Helping farmers understand and manage production costs to improve profitability.
- Improving crop resilience: Promoting better soil health, crop management, and water management to reduce drought risks and improve rice productivity.
- Strengthening farmer cooperation: Encouraging farmers to work together to improve access to markets and increase the profitability of rice production.
Promoting Sustainable and Resilient Rice Farming Practices
The training emphasized several practical measures to strengthen rice farming resilience, including:
- Biochar-based organic fertilizers to improve soil health, enhance nutrient-use efficiency, and support rice productivity.
- Rice-stubble cultivation and incorporation to improve soil organic matter and long-term soil fertility.
- Wood vinegar as a tool for improving crop health and reducing reliance on chemical pesticides.
- Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) to improve water-use efficiency in irrigated rice production.
Sharing Field Experiences and Lessons Learned
During the sessions, CAOs shared their progress in working with farmers, along with practical experiences and lessons learned from the field.
One important lesson was that the application of organic fertilizers can improve soil conditions, enhance the efficiency of NPK fertilizers, and contribute to higher rice yields. CAOs also reported that using wood vinegar had helped farmers reduce pesticide use, with some farmers able to stop using pesticides in their rice fields.
These experiences highlight the potential of integrated soil, crop, and water management to improve both the resilience and profitability of rice farming.
Follow-Up Actions
Following the training, CAOs will intensify their work with rice farmers to improve farm profitability and strengthen resilience to drought. Their activities will focus on helping farmers manage production costs, assess net income, and adopt sustainable farming practices suited to local conditions.
Through these efforts, MAFF, with support from the BRIC project, aims to strengthen the capacity of CAOs to help farmers manage climate-related risks, use agricultural inputs more efficiently, and achieve more sustainable and profitable rice production.
Prey Veng, 28 October 2026 | Kampong Thom, 30 October 2026