Enhancing Production and Marketing of Maize and Soybean in North-Western Cambodia and production of Summer Crops in North-Eastern Australia

Final report for project ASEM/2006/130: This research aimed to improve smallholder farmers’ production and marketing of maize and soybean in Cambodia. It included on-farm research with maize and legumes to investigate potential profit improvements from using alternative farm management practices. Improving soil fertility, managing pests and weeds, and growing improved plant varieties were shown to be key factors for increasing crop yields. Off-farm research including workshops investigated farmers’ returns on investment in selected technologies (e.g. rhizobium inoculants, herbicides), and communications within the supply chain using SMS phone messaging. Surveys broadened the understanding of the value chain both in quantitative (e.g. cop inputs) and qualitative terms (relationships between buyers and sellers). In Australia, climate and economic modelling predicted climate changes for 2030 in New South Wales and indicated some crop production strategies favoured by farmers are unlikely to work as well as expected