Project News

Project of Capacity Building for the Quality Standard Control of Agricultural Materials (Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides) (QCAM Project) took part in "the Exposition on Agricultural Extension Materials and Information " held by the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), on February 23 and 24, 2011. This expo, held on the same day as the Annual Farmers' Congress, drew around 350 leaders of farmers from all over Cambodia and MAFF staff to introduce farm products and share experience and information on various agricultural materials from every province. Also, 25 international organizations and NGOs, and 10 private companies participated as well, and they set up booths and introduced their agricultural activities and agricultural materials and tools.

The QCAM Project joined the event as well, and displayed and handed out posters on "banned pesticides" and "how to deal with brown planthopper (Note 1)" as well as pocket books on banned and restricted pesticides which have been used in public awareness raising activities, and introduced various projects implemented by JICA and counterpart organizations. In addition, the QCAM Project showed a video program on proper use and management of pesticides that was provided by the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority (FPA) in the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA). Tagalog language of this video was translated to English by the Filipino experts, and then translated into Khmer by the QCAM Project. These public awareness raising materials had a good reputation among many of the participants.

Minister of the MAFF, H. E. Dr. Chan Sarun, visited the booth of QCAM and Dr. Kazuhiko Yagi, Chief Advisor of the QCAM Project explained him the various materials for the public awareness raising activity of the QCAM Project. (Photo 1) At the same time, Dr. Yagi asked for the Minister's support for the nation-wide campaign on eradicating the banned pesticides, and the Minister agreed to give his full support for it. The QCAM Project hopes that the materials made by the Project are utilized by many people and that the illegal pesticides will be wiped out from Cambodia in the near future.

Photo 1: Dr. Kazuhiko Yagi, Chief Advisor of the QCAM Project explaining the information materials of the Project to H.E. Dr. Chan Sarun, Minister of the MAFF.

Photo 2: Mr. Toshinori Hamaguchi, JICA Expert (Right), Mr. Chin Dimanche (Middle) and Ms. Taing Sreiny (Left), Project Assistants.

Photo 3: Booth of the QCAM Project.

(Note 1): Brown Planthoppers seriously damage the rice by sucking water and nutrients out of it.

Written by Toshinori Hamaguchi, JICA Expert