Rice production in Cambodia faces significant challenges from machinery shortages, high equipment import costs and limited service providers. Traditional manual broadcast seeding adds to those challenges through high labor demands and inefficient use of inputs.

To address these barriers, the International Rice Research Institute, through the CGIAR Initiative on Excellence in Agronomy and later the Sustainable Farming program, deployed a multi-pronged strategy to transition labor-intensive broadcasting to a climate-smart, precision-seeded system using mechanized direct-seeded rice, or mDSR.

Scaling mechanized seeding required addressing equipment supply, service availability and farmer adoption. Imported machinery remains expensive, local prototypes are still under development, and few service providers operate across entire provinces. As a result, service providers struggled to meet narrow optimal planting windows. Some farmers also remained accustomed to broadcast seeding or faced pressure to adopt commercial row-seeding systems.

IRRI worked to create an enabling environment through structured consultations involving regional agricultural departments, cooperatives and equipment manufacturers. Diagnostic baseline surveys across four key provinces established performance benchmarks, while public-private partnerships helped improve equipment access.

The initiative combined capacity building, business development and policy advocacy. Training of Trainers workshops, Farmer Field Schools and field demonstrations helped build technical skills among local agricultural officers and lead farmers. One-stop service centers and custom-hiring business models were established through Modern Agricultural Cooperatives and development partnerships to improve machinery access. Financial planning and maintenance connections with equipment manufacturers also supported the development of local machinery services.

Policy advocacy resulted in the formal inclusion of mDSR in Cambodia's Nationally Determined Contributions 3.0 under the Paris Agreement, with a target of 100,000 hectares by 2035. The policy alignment also supported integration into larger initiatives, including the $240 million Climate Adaptive Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture for Resilience project.

Evaluations of 200 participating pilot farmers showed average yield increases of 0.9 tons per hectare and more than $200 per hectare in additional profit. Precision seed placement reduced seed rates by 50%, improved nitrogen-use efficiency, reduced labor costs by as much as 40% and decreased methane emissions.

Commercial activity also expanded as local service providers demonstrated the viability of custom-hire operations, while climate funds supported machinery purchases in target provinces.

The initiative also addressed gender-related differences in machinery access. Network observations found that male farmers had previously dominated machinery access during tight planting windows. Changes to service protocols that prioritized female farmers helped women producers in Takeo Province achieve yields 17% higher than those of their previous production practices.

By combining mechanized seeding technology with training, inclusive business models and national policy support, the initiative established a foundation for more resource-efficient and climate-smart rice production in Cambodia.

Source: CGIAR, "Scaling Mechanized Direct Seeded Rice for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Cambodia"