Sally Furniss
Well-known member
Khmer farmers turn to contract farming
(16-06-2009)
TRA VINH ? Khmer farmers who populate the Mekong Delta provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and An Giang are increasingly entering contractual farming ventures to benefit from scientific knowledge and expertise and prevent losses.
At Cau Ke District?s Hoa An Commune, the current buzz is about 13 poor Khmer households that pooled cash to hire an agricultural expert to guide them.
The households signed a contract clearly defining responsibilities with Pham Chi Tung, head of Tra Vinh University?s Department of Cultivation and Rural Development.
Under the contract, Tung will provide counselling directly on which crops to grow at certain times of the year and how to take care of them. He will make field trips at least once a week to check the work, detect problems and suggest solutions.
Termination rights
For their part, the households will pay Tung monthly wages of VND100,000 (US$6) for every cong (1,000 sq.m) assigned to him. They reserve the right to terminate the contract if they feel they no longer need consultation.
Tung guarantees that no loss will be incurred, while the farmers pledge to fulfil his instructions.
The six-month contract has proven effective.
"With his [Tung?s] help, I?ve tripled profits to earn VND4 million ($230) more for each cong of tomato I harvested, compared to the time when I cultivated them on my own," said Thach Set.
"We cut back substantially on expenses, and didn?t have to pay him too much," Set said.
Tung said that a 40 per cent drop in expenses resulted from the restricted use of chemical fertilisers which were replaced by organic manure or compost.
"I?ve just had a very good harvest of vegetables," said Thach Thai, another Khmer farmer, "I owe that to him [Tung]".
"Local farmers now do not hesitate to spend money on hiring experts," said an official of Hoa An Commune, noting that the products grown with experts? guidance fetched higher prices since they conformed to strict health standards.
Outlet contracts
Many Khmer farmers have learned from bitter experience that passive production can be a losing proposition.
Two years ago, Chau Son Soc Kunh, a Khmer farmer in An Giang Province?s Tinh Bien District, persuaded his fellow villagers into a co-operative group to farm 24ha of land.
The co-operative was later introduced to the province?s Agimex (Agricultural import and export) company by local authorities for ensuring supply of quality seeds, providing technical assistance and buying the entire harvest.
"We earned more but paid less," said Kunh, "What pleases us the most is that we?re now relieved of consumption worries."
Farmers growing sesame in An Giang?s Tri Ton District have frequently struggled to obtain reasonable prices for their produce, but things have become better after they signed contracts with a Can Tho-based processor at the price of VND20,000 ($1.2) a kilogram.
"We don?t have to sell sesame at any price anymore," said Chau Soc Kunh of O Lam Commune.
Tran Van Mi, head of Tri Ton Department of Agriculture, said that more such contracts between farmers and enterprises were needed given that the existing ones did not cover a wide range of agricultural products.
"We will look for enterprises to enter into contracts for peanuts, quality rice and medical herbs to help Khmer communities improve their incomes and living standards," Mi said.
"Khmer farmers are now conditioning their crops to market demand. They are shifting to what the markets like the most," he added. ? VNS
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01AGR160609
(16-06-2009)
TRA VINH ? Khmer farmers who populate the Mekong Delta provinces of Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and An Giang are increasingly entering contractual farming ventures to benefit from scientific knowledge and expertise and prevent losses.
At Cau Ke District?s Hoa An Commune, the current buzz is about 13 poor Khmer households that pooled cash to hire an agricultural expert to guide them.
The households signed a contract clearly defining responsibilities with Pham Chi Tung, head of Tra Vinh University?s Department of Cultivation and Rural Development.
Under the contract, Tung will provide counselling directly on which crops to grow at certain times of the year and how to take care of them. He will make field trips at least once a week to check the work, detect problems and suggest solutions.
Termination rights
For their part, the households will pay Tung monthly wages of VND100,000 (US$6) for every cong (1,000 sq.m) assigned to him. They reserve the right to terminate the contract if they feel they no longer need consultation.
Tung guarantees that no loss will be incurred, while the farmers pledge to fulfil his instructions.
The six-month contract has proven effective.
"With his [Tung?s] help, I?ve tripled profits to earn VND4 million ($230) more for each cong of tomato I harvested, compared to the time when I cultivated them on my own," said Thach Set.
"We cut back substantially on expenses, and didn?t have to pay him too much," Set said.
Tung said that a 40 per cent drop in expenses resulted from the restricted use of chemical fertilisers which were replaced by organic manure or compost.
"I?ve just had a very good harvest of vegetables," said Thach Thai, another Khmer farmer, "I owe that to him [Tung]".
"Local farmers now do not hesitate to spend money on hiring experts," said an official of Hoa An Commune, noting that the products grown with experts? guidance fetched higher prices since they conformed to strict health standards.
Outlet contracts
Many Khmer farmers have learned from bitter experience that passive production can be a losing proposition.
Two years ago, Chau Son Soc Kunh, a Khmer farmer in An Giang Province?s Tinh Bien District, persuaded his fellow villagers into a co-operative group to farm 24ha of land.
The co-operative was later introduced to the province?s Agimex (Agricultural import and export) company by local authorities for ensuring supply of quality seeds, providing technical assistance and buying the entire harvest.
"We earned more but paid less," said Kunh, "What pleases us the most is that we?re now relieved of consumption worries."
Farmers growing sesame in An Giang?s Tri Ton District have frequently struggled to obtain reasonable prices for their produce, but things have become better after they signed contracts with a Can Tho-based processor at the price of VND20,000 ($1.2) a kilogram.
"We don?t have to sell sesame at any price anymore," said Chau Soc Kunh of O Lam Commune.
Tran Van Mi, head of Tri Ton Department of Agriculture, said that more such contracts between farmers and enterprises were needed given that the existing ones did not cover a wide range of agricultural products.
"We will look for enterprises to enter into contracts for peanuts, quality rice and medical herbs to help Khmer communities improve their incomes and living standards," Mi said.
"Khmer farmers are now conditioning their crops to market demand. They are shifting to what the markets like the most," he added. ? VNS
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/showarticle.php?num=01AGR160609