From 31 August to 02 September 2009, Mr. Yi Kimthan (FNP program director) and Mr. Yim Sok Sophors (FNP member) accompanied with Mrs. Soriya and Mr. Phallin, PLAN staff conducted a fact finding in 3 villages, 3 districts of Siem Reap province. The fact finding was conducted in order to seek for understanding on the real situation of the target communities for a joint project between CEDAC and PLAN in relation to improving income generation and livelihood improvement of the most vulnerable farmers through improving sustainable agricultural production in the dry land area and degraded soil areas. This project is called for proposal by the European Commission (EC).
It is to remind that the study was conducted in 3 districts, like Srey Snom, Angkor Chum and Banteay Srey districts. As a result, it is able to know that those studied areas are strongly faced to drought, soil fertility is degraded and low agricultural productivity especially the farmers could harvest about 1 ton/hectare from rice production, which is shapely below the national average. Totally, 3 group discussion meetings were organized during the fact finding event. The participants of those group discussion meetings consisted of commune chief, village chief, farmers, women and other key informants in the villages.
At the end of the fact finding process, we conducted a wrap up meeting with the team at PLAN office in Siem Reap province as well as discussed about the project design with the senior staff of PLAN at Imperial Hotel, Phnom Penh on September 02, 2009. The draft concept note will be submited by CEDAC to PLAN on 10 September 2009.
