There were 48 people attended the workshop. They are from government sectors, education sectors, NGOs, development partners, farmer associations, private sectors and mass media.

The NARDT project aims to improving the quality and effectiveness of agriculture and rural development policy research, advocacy and implementation in countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV). The project is implemented through establishing a network of thinktanks for Agriculture and Rural development in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, promoting knowledge sharing, exchanging information, research cooperation, capacity building institutions, and policy dialogues. CDRI has been assigned as the lead agency in Cambodia to coordinate the project implementation Network for Agriculture and Research Think-Tanks for Countries in Mekong Sub-Region (NARDT).

Dr. CHEM Phalla, acting executive director of CDRI stated that NARDT was formed on the right time that Cambodia is working on increasing export. Finally, Dr Phalla wished for a successful workshop and thanked the audience. According to Mr KHY Kosal, deputy secretary general of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery (MAFF) of Cambodia, Cambodia agriculture vision is to modernize agriculture from traditional practice focus on available resources to intensive farming which focus on high-technology, smart irrigation to increase productivity, crops diversification, and other sectors such as livestock, aquaculture, reforestation, social welfare, land management, environment, and sustainable natural resource management to enhance national socioeconomics, increase jobs, and share benefits from this economic growth equally and inclusively. MAFF is doing their duties in educating, researching, training, disseminating, and building human resources to serve agricultural sector, which is one of Cambodia’s priority visions, along with other inter-sectors to help Cambodia to become one of the fast-economic growth countries. It is expected that the NARDT project implementation in Cambodial will:

1. Encourage researchers and promote studies of new varieties that are qualified, climate resilient, high disease resistant, high yield, use less inputs, and meet market demand.
2. Include new studies about modern technology such as machinery to reduce labor in agriculture and remote senor to create more agricultural human resource.
3. Strengthen human resource and develop infrastructure at existing agricultural extension stations to transform those stations to Agriculture Center of Excellence to provide consultation or training and also a field visit for researchers.
4. Widely promote good agricultural practices to producers, distributors, and consumers. Improve laboratory by getting national and international recognition to ensure quality and food safety especially public welfare.
5. Establish partnership mechanism between publics, privates, communities, and development partners to address issues in agricultural value chain in order to ensure that agriculture production is competitive and meet market demand.
6. Extend promotion and training about sustainable land management, ecosystem, benefits of natural resources, agriculture residue and toxicities management to stakeholders and improve law enforcement to prevent violations.
7. Increase investment on transportation on waterways and railways to increase load of agriculture products transportation, reduce time and cost
8. Improve river basin management especially plain areas that are potential for agriculture and improve irrigation capacity
9. Continue providing electricity with stable supply and competitive with neighboring countries
10. Encourage investors and agriculture communities through offering loan with acceptable interests to attract investments on agro-processing which can support local producers and increase export and value added.

Attachment:

• Workshop report_Cambodia-NARDT.docx