Cambodia's organic farming efforts bear fruit

By Lach Chantha

TAKEO, Cambodia (Reuters Life!) - More Cambodian farmers are turning back the clock and using natural fertilizers as a drive to reintroduce organic farming bears fruit.

Khim Siphay is producing a lot more rice and vegetables on his farm these days and he pays very little for the fertilizers or pesticides he relies on.

"Using pesticide or fertilizers kills important insects and causes the soil to become polluted," the 46-year-old farmer said.

"I use compost and it helps keep the soil good from one year to another. All of my family members help make the compost."

Three-quarters of Cambodia's 13 million population depends on agriculture in a country where the average daily income is less than $2 making cost-efficient, and healthier, organic farming attractive.

The shift is part of a project started by a non-governmental organization, Centre d'Etude et de Developpement Agricole Cambogien (CEDAC) to wean farmers off harmful and expensive chemicals.

When the project was launched in 2000, there were only 28 farmers willing to go back to the old-fashioned way. Now, there are around 60,000 throughout the country and the farming method is endorsed by Cambodia's Ministry of Agriculture.

Rice yields per hectare for farmers who have gone organic have almost doubled and seed requirements have fallen by 70 to 80 percent, according to CEDAC. This means an income rise per hectare to $172 from $58, as organic rice is sold at a premium.

"The important point of organic farming is that farmers don't need to spend money on fertilizers and pesticide so they spend less money on farming," said CEDAC official Yang Saing Koma.