Field monitoring to Modulkiri province

From 08-11 June 2008, i went to ALP (Agriculture Livelihood Project) in Modulkiri province with Mr. Kin Mengse, the program officer of CEDAC. The purpose is to monitor the progress of the project, especially the application of SRI at the beginning of this rainy season. Importantly, the result of the visit is useful for the project's staff to improve their work. Various farmers were met individully with the accompanion from the project's staff. Importantly, we all had facilitated a farmer field day to transplant rice with SRI method. The village chief is interested to experience SRI on a plot of his rice field. Remarkbly, some farmers have already broadcasted the rice seed on the seedbed, but some other farmers have not yet prepared it due to they still lack of water. However, we observed that some farmers are going to transplant soon while they have water in the field. To prosper the SRI practice, project's staff and field assistant will work closely with farmers to explain and show them on how to transplant their rice with SRI method. We will spend most of the time at the rice field with farmers. Hopefully, it can help to increase number of farmers who are intrested to apply/experiement SRI at the first year. Ideally, we can explain and ask farmer a piece of their field for SRI transplanting so that they can see the differences of SRI and traditional rice practice. From 08-11 June 2008, i went to ALP (Agriculture Livelihood Project) in Modulkiri province with Mr. Kin Mengse, the program officer of CEDAC. The purpose is to monitor the progress of the project, especially the application of SRI at the beginning of this rainy season. Importantly, the result of the visit is useful for the project's staff to improve their work. Various farmers were met individully with the accompanion from the project's staff. Importantly, we all had facilitated a farmer field day to transplant rice with SRI method. The village chief is interested to experience SRI on a plot of his rice field. Remarkbly, some farmers have already broadcasted the rice seed on the seedbed, but some other farmers have not yet prepared it due to they still lack of water. However, we observed that some farmers are going to transplant soon while they have water in the field. To prosper the SRI practice, project's staff and field assistant will work closely with farmers to explain and show them on how to transplant their rice with SRI method. We will spend most of the time at the rice field with farmers. Hopefully, it can help to increase number of farmers who are intrested to apply/experiement SRI at the first year. Ideally, we can explain and ask farmer a piece of their field for SRI transplanting so that they can see the differences of SRI and traditional rice practice. On the other hand, field assistants have seemly learned well from the project's staff but one among 2 of them stay at Sra Thom village which located far from the office so that it is difficult for him to go and return from office to his house. We need to reinforce with that one with frequently take him to go with the project's staff, guide him how to work with the community people.

Field Program meeting at Veal Veng district, Pursat Province

1-3 June 2008 all staff of field program including me have assembled in Veal Veng district of Pursat province for the core team meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to share the progress of each field program’s project and cooperation among the projects and FNN for next month. 1-3 June 2008 all staff of field program including me have assembled in Veal Veng district of Pursat province for the core team meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to share the progress of each field program’s project and cooperation among the projects and FNN for next month. Recently, there was a rumor saying that CEDAC sells organic fertilizer to farmers that is why during the meeting, the discussion on selling of organic fertilizer by usage the name of CEDAC was also included in the meeting agenda.

All participants have decided that those who are explicitly determined of doing such activity, which is contradictory to CEDAC’s policy and core principles must be received a hefty fine from this organization, for example they are excluded from CEDAC’s staff with the public declaration in newspapers. If CEDAC still allow such event to be happened simultaneously, CEDAC will be failed to win control the name of a NGO that has been working on ecological agriculture.

Later on, field program director will consult CEDAC steering committee on the result of decision against selling of organic fertilizer in the name of CEDAC. Additionally, we also have consulted the expansion of the target village up to 6000 villages in 2012. Based on the result of discussion, the main strategy is to find more proposals to cover on the new target villages. Therefore, it actually needs to improve the quality and capacity of project officer so that program officers are able to allocate their time for external work especially with the funding agencies.

At grassroots level, we will reinforce YCL/CFA to work more effectively with the community people, furthermore we will also work closely with independent village based farmer organization to run development projects with funding support from CEDAC’s field program unit