A farmer harvests cucumbers in Koh Dach commune of the capital’s Chroy Changvar district in 2021. Hong Menea
Cambodia will release the 2020 Agriculture Survey Report (CAS 2020) on September 22, which under the scope of the “50x2030 Initiative” aims to close the agricultural data gap in low and middle-income countries.
CAS 2020 was conducted jointly by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) at the Ministry of Planning, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, with technical support from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
According to an official announcement seen by The Post on September 20, the report’s release will be held at an event in Phnom Penh that will bring together around 200 participants from provincial departments of the agriculture and planning ministries, as well as development partners and research institutions.
“At the event, the survey methodology, main findings and data use examples will be detailed. Attendees will learn how to access the CAS 2020 data (aggregated tables and micro-data) from relevant NIS online platforms,” the announcement said.
Participants will also receive information on ongoing and upcoming activities under the Cambodia Agriculture Survey programme and Cambodia Agriculture Census.
CAS 2020 collected information on crop cultivation, livestock and poultry raising, aquaculture and capture fishing, experiences with food insecurity and the Covid-19 impact on agriculture, among others.
The survey collected data from approximately 15,000 household agricultural holdings and non-household agricultural holdings – operated by private or state enterprises – between December 2020 and January 2021.
The information was collated by 429 staff from provincial departments of planning and provincial departments of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The FAO said the 50x2030 Initiative aims to fill the agricultural data gap in 50 low and lower-middle income countries by 2030.
It added that the initiative would be used to support the agriculture-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of these countries.
“Cambodia was the first country to join the initiative in Asia. One of the cornerstones of the 50x2030 initiative is to provide data free of charge so that research institutions, policy makers and development partners can use up-to-date and high-quality data to make accurate and informed decisions,” the FAO said.
CAS 2020 estimated that there were approximately two million household agricultural holdings in Cambodia, or approximately 57 per cent of all households in the Kingdom.
Crop activity was reported in 94 per cent of all household agricultural holdings in Cambodia, while 82 per cent reported raising livestock, poultry or insects.
An estimated 27 per cent of household agricultural holdings were involved in capture fishing activities, and six per cent in aquaculture.
