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SevaKasekor

Background

Accessibility and affordability to production means, such agricultural machineries (no-till seeder, roller crimper) and services that are specific to Conservation Agriculture and seeds of cover crops are emphasized as one of the main bottlenecks to foster the dissemination of such agroecological systems.

To address the accessibility, affordability of agricultural machineries, and to promote regenerative agriculture machinery including the straw management effectively and efficiently in Cambodia, a steering mechanism led by the public sector was needed. Therefore, SevaKasekor (Service to farmers) aims to be established and led by Department of Agriculture Engineering (DAEng). Currently establishment of a Task Force under the Department of Agricultural Engineering (DAEng) of the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) that would provide support to agricultural Cooperatives (ACs) and private service providers to foster the uptake of services for Conservation Agriculture is being discussed. Swisscontact will support the task force secretariat including the strategic roadmap.   

Aims and Objectives

SevaKasekor aims to support Agricultural Cooperatives, Private Local Service Providers, and Farmers/Service Providers to foster the uptake of Conservation Agriculture Machinery and improve CA machinery service provision in Cambodia. The SevaKasekor aims to support on (1) financial discount scheme, (2) technical training and assistance, and (3) closely communicate and measure the progress with different profiles and modalities of service providers to ensure their improvements and feedbacks regarding their investments on CA machinery service provisions to smallholder farmers. With this modality, SevaKasekor expects, to improve the transition of regenerative agriculture and importantly improve their farming systems and generate more income through the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

Institutionalization Vision

SevaKasekor aims to be institutionalized within the government system, specifically within Department of Agriculture Engineering (DAEng).

SevaKasekor in the Making

2017
Private Sector Engaged
Over the course of sustainable development of CA, it was crucial to engage private sector actors along the agricultural value chains to provide technologies, inputs, operation know-how, and access to finance to support the transition process of farmers, in addition to the services already offered by CASC. With this recognition, Conservation Agriculture Services with a Fee (CASF) together with Mekong Inclusive Growth and Innovation Program (MIGIP) facilitated the engagement of private sector and contributed to the commercialization of CA-related machinery and cover crop seed production.
2019
Growing interest and involvement in no till planter’s service provision and straw management
Import of no-till planters have been initiated since 2019. A total of 17 no-till planters are commercially obtained. However, the sale of such implements faces several challenges primarily due to (1) the affordability considering that the current no-till planters that are imported costs over $8,000, (2) the diversity of strategies of ACs and private service providers based on their financial capacities, profitability and engagement into the services’ business, and (3) the technical and capacity building support to ACs and service providers that should go hand-to-hand with the sale of these new implements and (4) the service fee that the farmers need to pay the service providers. The service providers have mentioned that they do not make a profit at the current tilling rate of around US $30/ha. The farmers are not willing to pay more.
2022
Discussion on the need of a steering mechanism
To promote CA machinery including the straw management effectively and efficiently in Cambodia, there is a need for development of a proper strategy. The strategy then would overcome the pain points of th service providers who would then be incentivized to provide no-till services. Therefore, there is ongoing discussion on the establishment of a steering mechanism that focuses on introducing and promoting CA machinery and implements to smallholder farmers.