Organization For Advancement of Cambodia (OFAC)

Agriculture Value Chain and Livelihoods Improvement:

Organization For Advancement of Cambodia (OFAC) have supported the farmer and vulnerable groups to intervene on agricultural intensification (Livestock and crop growing) and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) cooperatives (Honey, resin and rattan) in Community Forestry and Community Protected Area.

Key strategies:

1). Identify potential local agricultural products and NTFPs and conduct a study on marketing for those products: OFAC, NTFP cooperatives and model farmers have facilitated smallholder farmers to identify potential local agricultural and NTFP products, which have good market potential. They have met with the middlemen on crop and livestock and NTFP products availability to build evidence.

2). Capacity building on marketing skills and value chain to model farmers and NTFP cooperative: Provided training on marketing skills and value chain to model farmers and NTFP cooperative at provincial level. The training focused on crop, livestock and NTFPs value chain and organized and facilitated reflection workshop with all model farmers and NTFP cooperatives to reflect and strengthen their marketing skills and value chains.

3). Engaging with wholesalers, traders, model farmers and relevant provincial department such as Department of Agriculture: organized and facilitated regular face-to-face meetings between wholesalers, traders, model farmers, and relevant provincial department officers to discuss and determine an appropriate way and solution to promote local products aimed at improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers, especially women. The marketing study will feed into this training. 4). NTFPs, crop, chicken and swine is processing capacity building: In consultation with model farmers and NTFP cooperatives, OFAC have selected model farmer and NTFP cooperatives processing based on the identified agricultural and NTFPs products in the areas. Model farmers have identified and selected to attend on resin, honey, rattan, crop and chicken/swine processing and packaging.

5). Develop and strengthen farmer groups to market their products collectively: All model farmers and NTFP cooperatives in each target village have updated on market information through regular communication with wholesalers, traders and relevant stakeholders. The information obtained will be regularly shared amongst the farmer groups in their respective villages. Moreover, OFAC have facilitated farmer groups to seek support from the Provincial market authority to set up an organic shop in province and Phnom Penh Market for local products. All activities have collaborated with the provincial department of agriculture to support on finding the market location for selling their products. OFAC have provided some provision for packaging local products. Model farmers have consulted and involved in the process, especially in decision making for the packaging provision. That process includes selecting the equipment and material suppliers, trademark of the products etc.