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Cambodia has received technical help to develop high-value vegetable crops through assistance provided by the New Zealand-based Plant and Food Research Institute. The research institute recently was awarded a $7 million grant from the New Zealand government to work with small-scale farmers in Cambodia in order to increase their income from planting vegetables, said a senior ministry of agriculture official.

Prum Somany, deputy director of international cooperation in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Agriculture, told Khmer Times that staff from the New Zealand research institute are involved in the identification of high value vegetable crops and training farmers for their production.

“The focus of this program is to develop commercial horticulture and increase the income of small farmers. They [research institute] are also training farmers and project staff in the health and safety aspects of agrochemical use,” said Mr. Somany.

“The ministry welcomes this project and it would help the country reduce its imports of vegetables from neighboring countries and diversify its crops for export,” he added.

According to Mey Kalyan, senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council, the government had already allocated about $6 million from the national budget to upgrade and expand vegetable farms, in order to reduce the country’s reliance on horticultural products from neighboring countries.

A report from the Center for Policy Studies’ Boosting Food Production Program (2016 – 2018) indicated that 200 to 400 tons of vegetables are imported daily from neighboring countries...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/27582/ ... e-veggies/

Babaco,,, Although this is a fruit, not a vegetable I see a great opportunity for this fruit to be grown here. My brother in NZ grew lots of them in a glasshouse and they are delicious . Full of sweet juice , disadvantages are they don't keep , store or travel well.
Anyone wanting to grow them ? I will prepay for the first 10 fruit,, even before you put the plants in the ground.

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrSbhpi ... Ref6DG12A-

That is good news.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk

$5 million horticulture project
9 August 2017
New Zealand is to provide $5 million to support the sustainable development of horticulture over a five-year period in Cambodia, New Zealand’s foreign minister Gerry Brownlee announced on Monday.
New Zealand and Cambodia will soon sign a partnership arrangement in Phnom Penh to launch the initiative, according to Mr Brownlee who was quoted in a New Zealand government press release.

He said that that the Cambodia Quality Horticulture Initiative will help Cambodian farmers increase their income by diversifying into more sustainable crops that will in turn improve production and food safety

He said that as part of the initiative, New Zealand Crown Research Institute Plant & Food Research would provide Cambodia with the technical expertise to support the sustainable production and distribution of produce to markets.

“The initiative will work closely with local partners that are supporting and sourcing produce from smallholder farmers.”

Research conducted by Cambodia’s Centre for Policy Studies shows that between 200 to 400 tonnes of vegetables are imported daily from neighbouring countries. The research found that between $150 million and $250 million is spent annually on vegetable imports from Vietnam, Thailand and China.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/5077252/5-m ... e-project/