Help Rural Cambodians Escape Hunger and Poverty

In July 2023, Trailblazer delivered seeds and agricultural materials to the Farmer Community Group [FCG] located in Preah Ang Trong village, Lvea commune, Pouk district. They had begun preparing the land for cultivation. However, the rainy season hit and it rained almost every day causing flood damage to their crops and impacting their agricultural operations in many ways. 

The flooding made their fields unsuitable for planting and ruined crops that had already been planted. The flooded and saturated conditions restricted root development, reducing the crop's ability to take up water and nutrients and tolerate drought stress later in the season. Plants that survived the flooded conditions, luckily, showed new leaf development within three to five days after the water receded.

The farmers requested help with growing their crops and avoiding the impacts of annual flooding. They asked for the excavation of ponds in order to have access to a dependable water source for irrigation purposes during drier seasons, additional soil to raise the elevation of their farmland above the flood plane to protect their crops, water pumps to use for irrigation of their crops, a tiller to make preparation of their farmland and garden rows easier - saving the farmers time and money, and netting to protect garden rows.

With these materials and equipment the FCG members are very happy and thankful for the support of their project. Their families, and the villagers, are cheerful that their crops can now be planted and grow without fear of flood damage or drought in the dry season, thereby, preserving their ability to continue earning an income and support their families year-round.

One example is: Mr. Pherng and his wife who are harvesting corn every day, sometimes twice a day. They earn between $35USD to $37.50USD per day from selling corn. They are looking at growing their corn in stages to have a consistent harvest schedule and income generation.

Other farmers, such as Mrs. Ngin, after she repaired her farmland by adding more soil to be able to grow crops, she is starting to grow watermelon. 

According to the results of the monitoring and interviews conducted with this FCG, all the farmers are looking after their crops carefully. Some farmers are harvesting their crops, some farmers are continuing to care for their crops until they are ready for harvesting, while other farmers will be starting to grow more crops soon.

The goal of this project was to provide the FCG with much-needed equipment and materials to continue its success for the long-term. Donor funds supported Trailblazer’s Economic Development Program by aiding its second FCG with the essential materials the farmers needed for successfully planting, growing and harvesting of their crops. These crops are grown to earn income to support their families and the community.

We wish to thank our donors who have supported this vital project and helped make a true difference in the livelihoods of these families.