ADB Approves $72 Million to Support Cambodia's Agricultural Development, Benefiting 200,000 Farming Households

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, the Asian Development Bank approved $72 million in financing to support Cambodia's implementation of the Smallholder Resilient Economic Development Sector Project, which is planned to cover 186 communes in 7 provinces and benefit approximately 200,000 smallholder farmers. The project will upgrade agricultural irrigation facilities, add 7,000 hectares of farmland to irrigation service coverage, and rehabilitate 190 kilometers of rural access roads to improve agricultural product transport and rural production conditions.

The $72 million financing package includes $57 million in concessional loans and a $15 million grant from the Asian Development Fund. The project also receives $23 million in co-financing from the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund, a $10 million grant from the Green Climate Fund, a $3 million grant from Japan's Prosperity and Resilience Asia-Pacific Fund, and $4.3 million in counterpart funding from the Cambodian government. The above funds total $112.3 million.

The project will modernize existing irrigation systems in areas with high disaster risk and rehabilitate rural roads to improve farmers' access to agricultural product trading markets and employment areas. The 7 provinces and 186 communes covered by the works will simultaneously receive support for upgrading agricultural service facilities.

The agricultural production support program includes technical training in crop cultivation, horticulture, poultry farming, insect farming, and aquaculture. The project will also provide targeted grants to farmers to support reducing dependence on imported fuel and fertilizer and to promote the adoption of agricultural production techniques adapted to drought, flood, and heat risks.

The project will organize local women and vulnerable groups to participate in community disaster response planning, early warning system development, and disaster prevention measures, while supporting women's participation in agricultural business decision-making and related economic activities. Statistics published by the Asian Development Bank show that women account for approximately 51% of Cambodia's agricultural labor force.