Multipurpose Rice Field: Case Experiences from Two Cambodian Farmers

Sour Som and Oeur Sorphorn

Farmers working with CEDAC 1

1.         Introduction

Around 7 million small farmers (around 60 % of the total population) live in the rainfed lowland areas of Cambodia. They derive their livelihood mostly from rice farming. There is increasing population pressure on limited land resources while there is limited income-generating and employment opportunities in the non-agricultural sectors. Small farmers are looking for solutions that will allow them to produce enough food and income to fulfill the basic needs of their families while conserving the natural base.

CEDAC has been working with farmers since 1998 to develop a multipurpose rice field (MPF), i.e., a small farm of less than 1 hectare or even less than 0.5 ha). MPFs are farms that can fulfil the basic needs of a family as well provide employment opportunities and additional income for the farm household (about 5 people). This farm should be not be highly dependent on external inputs, especially chemical pesticides and fertilizers. It should conserve natural resources and rural landscape diversity.

This paper presents farmers’ experiences in developing MPF in many parts of Cambodia.

2.         The Promotion of MPF by farmer and CEDAC

Farmers in six provinces of Cambodia have been supported by CEDAC's extension program to develop MPF. At the beginning, farmers were afraid of giving up any area for growing rice, which is the most important crop to ensure their household food security. However, through the introduction of an ecological rice intensification program, especially with the integration of principles and techniques of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) which was originally developed in Madagascar, farmers feel more confident in MPF.

The most important innovations have been improved crop management using young seedlings, transplanted one by one with shallow-rooted transplanting; water management that maintains a minimal water level in the field; and frequent weeding that improves soil aeration as well as removes weeds.

Now there are at least 400 rice farmers who have applied SRI methods. The result of the harvest in the 2000 wet season show that farmer can get 5 tons per ha, which is about 150% higher than with traditional/conventional practices. In the dry season, under alluvial soil, farmers were able to get 6 tons per ha which is about 60 % higher than with conventional practices. Also, with this system the seed requirement is about 6 to 10 times less than with conventional practices.

So far, 31 SRI farmers have started to convert their rice fields and homestead areas into MPF, which uses SRI along with other agroecologically-based practices. The number of MPF farmers is expected to be more than 50 by the end of 2002.

Conversion to MPF is done by digging a pond and canal for better water management (controlled drainage and irrigation), introducing fish culture, growing aquatic crops, and raising the field and dikes higher for growing vegetables, fruit trees, multipurpose trees, and herbs. This approach increases the diversity in the farm.

Experience of farmers who have pioneered in setting up MPF in their own communities has shown that although farmer lose some land for rice cultivation, they still able to get a higher rice yield, and also produce complementary crops. Farmers' income has improved significantly because not only are their input expenditures reduced, but additional food items are produced and they are able to earn extra income by selling more products from their farms. Two case examples are highlight in this paper.

3.         Case Experiences

3.1.       Case of farmer, Sour Som

Mr. Som has a plot of 4000m². From 1981 to 1995, he can produce rice 200kg to 480 kg, depending on climatic condition, especially rainfall pattern. Every year he applied organic fertilizer around 3600kg (mainly cow manure in mixture with rice straw and other organic matter). He found out that he was not able to obtain high rice yield from his rice plot because of poor water and nutrient management. Therefore, from 1996 to 1999, he has decided to divide his farm into six parcels and improve the land levelling.  Due to the improvement of water and nutrient management, the paddy production has increased up to 580 - 720 kg from the same plot.  All other inputs, such as seed, labor and organic manure were the same.

In 2000, he tested the principles and techniques of SRI in two plots (two out of six plots). Through the adoption of SRI, the total harvest has increased up to 920 kg. Due to the significant increase of paddy production, he decided to adopt SRI in all six plots in 2001. He has converted about 15% of his paddy field into pond and garden. Now he is raising fish and growing different kind of crops, including vegetables, fruit trees, herbs and multipurpose trees. Though, he use parts of his rice field for other purpose, he expect to get more rice as well as more income from selling other products from his garden. He also expects to get green leaf manure from tree and shrubs growing on his rice dike.

For more information about the development of his MPF, please refer to table 1.

Table 1 : Summary information on the conversion of rice field into MPF (Case of Mr. Sour Som)

3.2.       Case of farmer, Oeur Sorphorn

Mr. Oeur Sorphorn has one hectare of land. From 1981 to 1999, he used 8000m² of his land for rice production and 2000m² for vegetable production. With this practice, he can get rice harvest around 960 to 1440 kg per year or 1200 to 1800kg per ha). Every year he can harvest only rice and some vegetable for home consumption.

In 2000, when he get expose to the training of CEDAC, he started to improve his field and split the field into three small plots, mainly for growing vegetable and multi-purpose tree (green manure). He set up water management system in his field by digging canal and pond. The soil excavated from pond and canal is used to raise bigger dike around his rice field so that he can grow different kind of crops and trees on it. The dike is considered for protecting rice field from big flood.

By converting his rice field, the remaining area for growing rice is only 4000m², but the area for growing vegetable and multi-purpose tree increased to 5000m². The area for pond and canal is 1000m². With the remaining paddy field he harvested 3000kg of paddy (or 7500kg/ha) by practising SRI techniques. In addition, he can earn around 30 USD by selling fish collected from his pond. He was also able to earn about  50 USD from selling vegetable. It is important to note that home consumption offish and vegetable is not valued and included in the analysis.

Based on his experience in 2000, he can produce more rice by using the SRI technique and the improve on-farm water management. He also learnt that fish culture can bring more and stable cash income for his family.

Therefore, in 2001 he decided to expand the area for pond and canal to 1600m² while his paddy field was reduced to only 3400m². He also integrates pig production with his rice farming by using waste water from the pig pen to increase the nutrient supply to his rice. He first collect the waste water in a treatment pond before allowing it to go into paddy field through a small canal in his garden. Along this canal, he grows fruit trees, especially banana.

After the conversion rice field into MPF, his family can harvest more rice, more vegetable and fish for home consumption and for selling. They also can harvest green leaf to be used to improve soil fertility. Grass grown on the dikes and rice straw are sufficiently available to feed four cows.

From 2001 on, not only the total income of the family was increased, but the expenditure in buying meat, vegetable and pig fodder is also minimized.  He also does not need to buy any external input, such as fertilizer and seed for growing rice. 

Table 2 : Summary information on the conversion of rice field into MPF (Case of Mr. Oeur Sorphorn )

4.         Conclusion

SRI and MPF are emerging as an alternative and sustainable solution for Cambodian rice farmers and for farmers in the neighbouring countries. In addition, this approach gives small farmers greater ability to control their own agricultural systems, not relying on a single crop, and to restore the relationships between farmer to farmer and between farmer and nature. However, a lot of collaborative effort among farmers, development workers and researchers is still needed to mainstream SRI and MPF.

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