Page 13 - Agricultural innovation

Figure 1. Eli-Seeder in the field
Source: Country Report of Cambodia

BB2C operation costs annually from USD 100,000 to 120,000. The cost involved hiring engineering,
administrative staffs, and other spendings. BB2C partnered with corporations, universities, and non-
governmental organizations, to help build the organization and assist in research and development
for its products, and field experiment. BB2C spearheaded a gender equity project for women farmers.
Firstly, the organization created so-called 21st-century marketing tools. They traveled to the remote
provinces of Cambodia including Prey Veng, Battambang, Takeo, and Pursat to collect data for creating
marketing tools for women farmers. Secondly, BB2C cooperated with IRRI to launch women farmers’
pilot program providing training for women to understand the use of new technology.

3.1.3. Opportunities and challenges
Since its inception in 2015, Eli Seeder’s sales were growing but later on, new challenges were identified,
such as the company’s strong dependency on grants and faced with low sales, therefore, making it
difficult to sustain this company forwards. According to interview with Paula Shirk, by implementing
the Eli Seeder project several challenges were identified such as the slow adoption rate of new technology
amongst farmers, the government’s strong bureaucracy, organizational and internal issues, etc.
One of other challenges is the difficulty in changing mindset and habits of local farmers who still
stick to the traditional farming.

3.1.4. Conclusions
Eli Seeder is an important tool in improving rice farming outputs in Cambodia as farming the country
has deteriorated by climate change like flood and drought, the lack and higher cost of farming labor,
and low yield due to lack of skills and knowledge of farmers and lack the use and adoption of the
modern tool.
From BB2C experience, we can learn that the potential scaling of this product could be done
through long-term strategy such as product renovation and marketing; practical implementation such
as providing the right training for farmers i.e. the training provided by the company’s experts on how
to use the products and other necessary education such as financial management.
Moreover, the partners such as the government should have special treatment for this alike
company such as tax deductions, lower electricity costs, support and assist the company’s mission

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