The Second Commercial Demonstration was Conducted by the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Battambang in Konghot

Community |

On March 1, 2023, MetKasekor team led by the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Battambang conducted a commercial demonstration which showcased various conservation agriculture related machineries and cover crop seeds to over 300 small- holder farmers in Konghot area located in Sangke district of Battambang province. The event was presided by Mr. Long Phon, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Battambang and representatives from the Department of Extension for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DEAFF), the Department of Agricultural Land Resources Management (DALRM), and the Department of Agricultural Engineering (DAEng).

Machineries and equipment such as no-till planters, roller crimpers, land levelers, and sub-soilers were introduced to farmers which caught a lot of attention from farmers and service providers as they could see immediately the benefits these machineries and equipment could serve their farming daily. In addition, cover crop seeds such as Sun Hemps, Junceas, and Stylos were also displayed on tables with technical specialists explaining the benefits of growing cover crops to improve the quality of the soil and provide nutrition to main growing crops such as rice, maize, and cassavas…etc. As MetKasekor is a model that opens market for private sector to invest in conservation agriculture, local agricultural cooperative, Kompong Prieng, and private sector companies both local and international including Larano Workshop, John Deere, Angkor Green, AgriSmart Cambodia, SmartAgro, and Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB) also presented themselves at the event to have a direct engagement and provide information on their products and services to farmers. Throughout this commercial demonstration, there was also a session conducted by Conservation Agriculture Research for Development Center (CARDEC) to provide some insights on the practice of conservation agriculture to farmers who are looking to shift toward a new way of farming that is resilient to climate change. Konghot being a potential area for farming due to the ample resource of water, MetKasekor has now expanded area of service extension to this area with a vision to get more farmers to start practicing conservation agriculture to improve the soil quality and increase the production and income of farmers.