vegetable farmer field school

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IMPROVED FAMILY VEGETABLE PRODUCTION FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS USING FARMER FIELD SCHOOL APPROACH

Life and Nature Project, May 2016

By Yim Soksophors

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) is implementing a Global

Environment Facility (GEF) funded project, titled “Strengthening the adaptive capacity and resilience of rural communities using micro-watershed approaches to climate change and variability to attain sustainable food security in Cambodia,” or the “Life and Nature” project. The Cambodian Ministry of Environment is the main counterpart of FAO-UN in the implementation of the Life and Nature project, which is also closely partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; General Directorate of Agriculture; Forestry Administration; Ministry of Women’s Affairs; Ministry of Rural Development; Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology, and other institutions. The objective of the project is to build the adaptive capacity of rural communities and reduce their vulnerability to climate change through integrated micro-watershed management and climate resilient agriculture practices to ensure food security. The project’s on-the-ground efforts will take place within four locations: Lvea Krang commune, Varin District, Siem Reap Province; PoPok Commune, Stoung District, Kampong Thom Province; Ta Veaeng Leu Commune, Ta Veaeng District, Ratanak Kiri Province; and, Kulen Chheung Commune, Kulen District, Preah Vihear Province. The four communes’ micro-watersheds cover a total of ~60,000 hectares and have a total population of ~10,000. As mentioned above, the project has 4 target communes in total. In October 2015, Climate vulnerability and impact assessment (VIA) was conducted to assess the climate vulnerability, existing adaptation measures as well as to prepare action plan that address the key issues found in the VIA. Improving family vegetable production was proposed by interviewed farmers to include in the action plan. The interviewed respondents identified capacity building on vegetable growing as necessary for boosting vegetable production in the commune. Vegetable production is normally carried out in rainy season. Lack of water storage and water supply systems make difficult for the farmers to grow vegetables in the dry season. At the same limited knowledge of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and understanding of climate change and variation reduced farmers’ adaptive capacity. For instance, limited skills and understanding in selection of climate tolerant seed, preparation of cropping calendar adaptable to climate variability, sustainable soil fertility improvement practices, and integrated pest management (IPM). To respond the farmers’ demand, from February to May 2016, the project piloted farmer field schools (FFSs) on climate resilient vegetable growing in 3 target communes (Lvea Krang in Siem Reap province, Popok in Kampong Thom province and Kulen Chheung in Preah Vihear province). The Life and Nature project partnered with the Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) to implement the pilot FFSs. PDA staff at the provincial level played role as the FFS trainer and district staff acted as the trainer assistant. Both of PDA staff worked closely with project extension officer, who performed as the FFS facilitator. About 15 to 20 farmers attended in a FFS, more than 50% of the total members were women. A series of training organized, key training topics focused on the basic concept of climate change and climate smart vegetable growing practices including the selection of climate resilient varieties, seedbed preparation specifically for the dry season and wet season, water use efficiency practices, integrated pest management, etc. All of these practices are considered as part of the climate smart agriculture. While the CSA-FFS training curriculum and materials have not been developed, PDA used their existing materials

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with support from national agronomist to integrate climate change adaptation aspect into it. Selection of FFS members is very important for success of the FFS. Key selection criteria were:

Farmers must have a common interest in vegetable growing,

Farmers who are currently growing vegetables,

Farmers must have a home lot for growing vegetables, etc. The diagram below indicates the process of implementing these pilot FFSs, including identification and selection of FFS members, village meeting, provision of trainings, follow-up visit and technical advice, field day and technical monitoring support after completion of the FFS.

Process of the FFS implementation

The pilot FFS produced a good result while majority of the FFS members have gained a lot of understanding of climate resilient vegetable growing. As earlier mentioned, they experienced in vegetable growing (for the family consumption), but the concept of CSA is new for them. Majority of them interest to apply the techniques that they have learned from the pilot FFSs, but application is limited due to the lack of irrigation water. Some farmers prepared fence for vegetable garden, selected tolerant vegetables for planting, used water in efficiency manner, collected natural manure for compost making, and prepared botanical pesticide for pest control. The below table provides summary on differences between traditional vegetable growing practices and new techniques learned from the pilot FFS:

1. Identify and select interested farmers

2. Organize village meeting to introduce farmer field school,

3. Organize training for FFS members, field

practice was the main method.

4. Provide follow up advice by FFS trainer and project extension

officer

5. Organize final session of the FFS (reflection,

planning...)

6. organize field day

7.Provide continued follow -up support to

FFS members

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Traditional practices Highlighted practices trained to FFS members

Seed selection & germination Full grain seeds/climate tolerant seed were not properly selected for planting

select healthy and tolerant varieties for planting

Mix sand and fertile soil for seed germination

Soil preparation and improvement

Immediate planting conducted after soil preparation without drying

Use chemical fertilizer 1

Dry the soil properly

Spray hot water on the soil to diminish pest

Use compost /organic matter

Water usage Used a lot of water to water vegetables.

Water collection and water use efficiency

Rehabilitate existing ponds – to make bigger ponds for water storage and later use in the drier months

Integrated pest management Some farmers did not know the solution

Used chemical pesticide that negative impact to human health and environment, at the same time increased family expense on external inputs.

Use kerosene mixed with seed to prevent destroy from ants.

Prepare botanical pesticide to terminate or repel pest insects

Harvesting No sorting of produce Harvest crops in right time with proper sorting for commercial purpose.

Water use efficiency, planting climate resilient crop varieties, improved soil fertility, integrated pest management and introduced appropriate farming systems were seen as key climate change adaptation aspects trained to the FFS members. IMMEDIATE OUTPUTS

Even the prolonged drought occurred in this years, FFS members still made effort to apply the vegetable

growing techniques that they have learned. Because of the shortage of water, the farmers could not grow

vegetables on the whole land they have, but they tried to grow on smaller piece of land depending on

amount of available water in pond or well. It is to notice that many areas in Cambodia faced to prolonged

drought and high heatwave, which resulted in shortage of water even for the human to drink.

1 Number of tillers/hand tractors is increasing, but this increase limits the amount of cow dungs for soil fertility improvement. More farmers sold cattle to buy tiller, but did not find ways to sustain soil fertility. Life and Nature project through the pilot FFS introduced compost making, promotion of using organic matters and collection of natural manures, crop diversification, crop rotation, and mixed-cropping which are good for improving soil fertility.

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Through implementing the pilot FFS, some immediate outputs achieved as follows:

Farmers, especially women have gained good understanding of vegetable growing. Some farmers

have applied the techniques that they have learned from the pilot FFSs to produce vegetables for

family consumption. Through the individual interview with FFS members, availability of

vegetables for family consumption has increased from three to four months a year. Moreover, a

number of farmers received income from selling vegetables when they sold the surplus.

Phoun Phea is a cooperating farmer of the Life and Nature Project. He lives in Anlong Kranh village,

Popok commune. Phea regularly attended the FFS training, and applied new techniques in his

vegetable gardens. He likes to plant water convolvulus, bottle gourd, yard long bean, etc. Through

the interview, Phea mentioned that he increased quantity of vegetables produced for the family

consumption – he stopped buying vegetables from others, but received more income of 30,000

riels from selling water convolvulus. This amount of income is not much, but it encourages him to

produce vegetables for selling in the future. He did not receive any income from vegetables before.

Photo 1: Mr. Phoun Phea, a cooperating farmer of the Life and Nature project, in Anlong Kranh village, Kampong Thom province

Photo 2: Vegetable gardens prepared by Phoun Phea after attending the pilot FFS

Some FFS members are potential to become members of women producer groups. At the same

time, they can be demonstration farmers as well if the project just continued providing additional

technical support a bit more.

Through the implementation of the pilot FFS, the farmers had opportunity to share their

knowledge and practical experience to each other. This means that their solidary, networking

have been strengthened. This would be easy for the project to form farmer’s group in the future

while they already experience working together.

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Photo 3: Visiting vegetable garden of a FFS member in Anlong Kranh village,

Farmers understand impact of chemical pesticide to human health, environment and economic.

Imported vegetables from neighboring countries are normally planted with extensive use of

chemicals (e.g. pesticide, fertilizer). In the FFS, farmers prepared botanical pesticide using local

materials without paying money to buy external inputs, and it is also an environmental friendly

practice.

Photo 4: Chemical pesticide used for pest control

Photo 5: Botanical pesticide introduced by the project

Some FFS members come up with clear plan for their family agricultural development. Specifically,

they wanted to improve water storage capacity by rehabilitating the existing ponds and some

other farmers want to plant vegetables in a bigger land for selling to markets.

Through the implementation of the pilot FFSs, government counterparts from PDA and district

agriculture office have improved their technical skills and knowledge of climate smart agriculture

as well as the facilitation of CSA-FFS. Most of PDA staff experienced facilitating the IPM farmer

field school, but not the CSA-FFS.

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LESSONS-LEARNED

Based on the implementation and achieved results from the pilot FFSs, some lessons-learned are captured

as follows:

• Farmers would be more interested and committed to apply new techniques if they see good

example from successful farmers. Therefore, exposure visit should be organized, particularly for

the next rounds of the farmer field schools.

• Young farmers could be potential members of women producer group. They have high motivation

and commitment to improve their life and the life for their children. By this reason, they make

more effort than the old farmers.

• Farmers have plenty of local knowledge and experience, encourage them to share their

understanding and real practices during the FFS training session is the key training method to be

carried out. Too much lecturing from FFS trainer will make boring learning environment.

• Field practices and/or demonstration with simple field trials run by the farmers is important for

the farmers to learn new technical innovations. They can understand well with their own

practices.

• Regular follow-up visit is very important to build trust and confidence with farmers. At the same

time, additional technical advice can be provided during the individual follow up visit.

• Visible training materials should be developed and used for the FFS training. This would be easy

for the farmers to absorb new knowledge.

• Agricultural inputs/materials should be delivered to FFS members on time. This would enable the

farmers effectively apply the techniques that they have learned,

• The project extension officer together with the FFS trainer should use the FFS record book

regularly.

NEXT ACTIONS

• On-going support and technical advice should be continued even after the completion of the FFS.

However, it is good as the project already planned to continue another cycle of FFS for the same

group. This would allow the FFS members to advance their skills and knowledge for commercial

purpose. It is to note that some potential FFS members could become women producer group

members to produce vegetables for market supply.

• Potential FFS members should be selected to become members of women producer groups

(WPGs) that will be formed by Provincial Department of Women’s Affairs (PDoWA) with technical

support from FAO’s Life and Nature project. Rational background, vision / objectives of the WPG

should be clearly discussed in the beginning to ensure that the farmers understand the nature of

the group and right farmers are selected for membership of the WPG.

• To make a wider dissemination of good practices, field day should be organized at the end of each

FFS. Reflection, key lessons learned should be captured and it would be valuable for planning the

next FFS. Additionally, it is good chance to spread good practices to other farmers, local

authorities and other stakeholders who did not attend the FFS.

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• Step by step, the project should improve water storage and supply systems that enable farmers

to have more water for growing vegetables. Interventions related to irrigation water can be

different based on the site specific, for example digging pond may not be appropriate for some

areas in Popok commune, improved access to water from the natural stream is much more

appropriate in Lvea Krang commune because there are few potential natural streams that

provided water all year round, etc.

• For the next round of the FFS, staff from district office of agriculture should also play role as the

trainer. Prior discussion / meeting between trainer and trainer assistant need to be conducted in

order to discuss the training agenda, content and to share responsible tasks between trainer and

assistant in each training session.