Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Gov’t rolls out platform to stimulate rural agri-business

Gov’t rolls out platform to stimulate rural agri-business

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The TSC will shore up the digital platform through the Khmer Agriculture Suite (KAS) of digital applications for the rural economy, which comprises an open digital platform, a Challenge Fund and an outreach campaign. Heng Chivoan

Gov’t rolls out platform to stimulate rural agri-business

The state-run Techo Startup Center (TSC) has set up the Digital Agricultural Supply Chain Platform (DASCP) in a move to promote productivity of enterprises, economy and younger generation in rural areas and advance poverty reduction and food security.

The TSC is based in the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) on Russian Federation Boulevard (Street 110) in Tuol Kork district’s Teuk La’ak I commune in the capital and is operated by the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Speaking at a workshop on Wednesday, TSC digital technology coordinator Dr Ty Makararavy said the digitalisation of the agricultural sector offers a major potential boon to the economy through increased productivity, cost efficiency and market opportunities.

She said the platform also purports to transform communications across value chain actors, enabling inclusivity, and to optimise the use of resources as well as to adapt to rapid change.

The TSC will shore up the DASCP through the Khmer Agriculture Suite (KAS) of digital applications for the rural economy, which comprises an open digital platform, a Challenge Fund and an outreach campaign, she said.

TSC’s role in the Sustainable Assets for Agriculture Markets, Business and Trade (SAAMBAT) project is to invigorate the burgeoning rural economy through digital technology and improve agricultural products’ access to the market, she added.

SAAMBAT was launched on February 3, financed by a $53.3 million loan and $1.2 million grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a $57.6 million loan from European Investment Bank (EIB) and $12.41 million in contributions from the Kingdom, the IFAD said.

The five-year project, in partnership with the finance ministry and Ministry of Rural Development, will run from 2020 to 2025. It aims to boost incomes and food security for 200,000 families in the Kingdom.

Dr Makararavy said TSC teams are working on the DASCP to collect, pre-process and analyse data and formulate predictions via the KAS and other sources through means of automation and semi-automation to serve the basis of future innovative applications.

She said the KAS is an open digital platform for agricultural value chains that harnesses the power of emerging technology and innovation to address core challenges in productivity and distribution.

She added that the KAS is satellite-based and is developed under different service providers. Its applications (KAS-Fresh, KAS-Market, KAS-Kontra, and KAS-Book) will share data with the core platform.

“It will help to promote rural infrastructure, skill development, enterprise development and digital technology,” Dr Makararavy said.

TSC start-up development specialist Khoeurn Saksonita added that the Challenge Fund will provide grants to start-ups in digital agriculture value chains to encourage development and testing of innovative digital applications.

“It is provide digital literacy, encourage the adoption [and use of technology,] and link innovators to value chain actors [farmers, traders, and entrepreneurs],” she said.

The DASCP is also a partnership with commercial partners in the private sector for the roll-out of applications linked to the KAS, she said. “We will cooperate with private partners, with key chain actors and with start-ups to solve product and distribution issues.”

It is also an ecosystem for research, building digital resilience for agricultural value chains and the identification of value chain actors’ concerns and needs, which aims to shape a favourable digital landscape, Saksonita said.

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the

  • Newest horror film showcases unique Khmer culture, identity

    At first glance, the trailer to new horror sensation The Ritual: Black Nun looks like a western-produced feature film. As the story reveals itself to the viewers, it becomes clearer that this is a Khmer film, with a strong Cambodian identity and close links to