A woman’s lead in high-quality rice seed production
A woman’s lead in high-quality rice seed production
In Battambang’s Ruessei Krang Commune, where more than 110,000 hectares of paddy fields shape the local landscape and livelihoods, Yim Chrep is helping lead a transformation in farming practices. For generations, farmers here have relied on traditional methods, often leaving their harvests vulnerable to changing weather patterns and uncertain markets. Determined to improve these conditions, Chrep has emerged as a leader in high-quality rice seed production, guiding her community toward more resilient and productive harvests.
Through the Promoting Climate-Resilient Livelihoods (PCRL) project, Chrep voluntarily took on the role of safeguarding seed quality for her community. Focusing on the Phka Rumduol variety, she has turned her fields into a practical demonstration of climate-resilient farming. The results are clear. With a wide smile, she recounted, "before joining the project, the average rice yield I obtained was only 2.5 tons per hectare. But now, after receiving technical training, especially the Quality Declared Seed (QDS) production technique, the rice seed yield I now achieve is at least 3.5 tons per hectare."
This technological change has nearly doubled her income. While traditional rice production brought in a profit of 1 million Riels per hectare, her expertise in rice seed cultivation has increased her earnings to approximately 2 million Riels per hectare. This success allowed her to expand her operations from a single hectare in 2024 to five hectares by 2025, with a significant portion of her land dedicated specifically to supplying quality seeds for neighboring farmers and cooperative members.
Her impact is measured in more than just Riels and tons. In a region where drought increasingly threatens crop growth, Chrep’s leadership provides stability for her community. She is no longer just responding to the weather, even in dry conditions. Instead, she is recognized by her community as a producer of the very seeds that reduce risk and safeguard the future.
She stated, "By participating in all these training courses from the project, I have been able to develop my capacity much better and gained new, very useful knowledge for me and my family. I am happy because not only did I gain knowledge, but I am also recognized as a farmer who produces good-quality seeds."
By adopting climate-resilient practices and sharing her experience, Chrep is helping farmers in Ruessei Krang Commune build a more secure future. Through her leadership, farmers gain not only access to quality seeds but also the confidence and knowledge needed to sustain their harvests.
Chrep’s story reminds us why #shefeedscambodia matters and why the International Year of the Woman Farmer is a moment to celebrate the women who keep our fields, families, and food systems strong.
The PCRL project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) through the Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations (FAO) and co-implemented by the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the General Directorate of Local Community (GDLC) of the Ministry of Environment (MOE), supporting farmers to strengthen climate resilience in rice-based communities.
