An estimated 11,000 rice and cassava farmers in Cambodia are using agricultural advisories based on the seasonal forecast with support of Local Technical Agro-climatic Committees

An estimated 11,000 rice and cassava farmers from 23 Agri-cooperatives
in Battambang and Kampong Speu provinces used the agroclimatic
advisories in their planning and decision-making for better risk
management. DeRISK SE Asia introduced the Local Technical
Agroclimatic Committee (LTAC) approach in Cambodia to co-develop
seasonal agroclimatic advisories based on seasonal forecasts with
different type of stakeholders in two target provinces. The advisories
were disseminated through multiple channels, including printed
bulletins, Telegram, the SESAME mobile application, and face-to-face
communication.
The Local Technical Agroclimatic Committees (LTACs) are established at
the provincial level to co-produce agroclimatic advisories that are
tailored to the local context. The committees include relevant partners
and stakeholders, such as the Provincial Department of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries (PDAFF), and Provincial Department of Water
Resources and Meteorology (PDoWRAM), agriculture technical experts
from District Agriculture Offices (DAO), commune authorities and agri-
cooperatives leaders. The advisories are based on Crop Decision Trees
for rice and cassava that provide specific information on crop stages,
agricultural practices, climate risk and response strategies under
different climate scenarios. Agroclimatic advisories based on seasonal
forecasts are disseminated to farmers via multiple communication
channels: the distribution of printed bulletins during commune-level
meetings, farmer interaction in villages by the leaders of agri-
cooperatives and local authorities, and the installation of printed posters
in public spaces. Farmer leaders and local authorities also immediately
receive seasonal forecasts and agroclimatic advisories using digital
channels, such as the SESAME application and Telegram. As a result,
approximately 11,000 rice and cassava farmers, including 745 leaders of
agricultural cooperatives and commune authorities, applied agroclimatic
advisories for crop planning and decision-making. Farmers use
agroclimatic advisories for seed varieties selection, land preparation,
planting methods, water management, pest control, and harvesting date
differently for wetter and drier climate conditions. This assisted the
farmers in coping with potential climate-related risks such as excessive
rainfall, flooding, drought, and pest infestation. For planting, farmers choose rice seed and cassava crop varieties that are tolerant to adverse climate conditions such as wetter or drier than normal scenarios. Different planting methods are utilized, such as broadcasting wet rice seed (direct-seeding) in wetter climatic conditions and broadcasting dry rice seed in drier climate conditions. Rice field dikes and drainage systems are constructed for enhanced water management, and farmers have improved their pest and disease control measures. For example, farmers restrict the application of nitrogen fertilizer and the amount of water released from
their rice fields when the rice blast disease is increasing under wetter than normal scenarios. Farmers can better plan and manage their farms
to avoid climate risks because they have improved access and enhanced understanding of the importance of seasonal forecasts and
agroclimatic advisories.