Text by: Prum Sean
When 250 women farmers from the Tonle Sap Lake met in mid November at the sub national Women Farmers Forum in Battambang and Siem Reap, they raised and discussed three main priorities: market, capital and water.
Farmers also discussed about the challenges, and the emerging innovations and successes. The private sector and government representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAFF) attending the forum agreed on the concerns farmers raised and agreed to try to work with farmers-particularly with women- in responding to these issues.
H.E. Hor Malin, MAFF Secretary of State, said she will convey the results from the forum to the minister to further discuss them, and she will tackle these issues in MAFF’s next action plan.
The forum was organized by Oxfam in partnership with civil society organizations, and Gender and Children working groups of MAFF to provide a space for farmers to share their interest, experience, concern and propose solutions on the challenges they face in agriculture. This forum was part of a series of 5 forums occurred in different Cambodian provinces. As a conclusion of this cycle of forums, Farmers will select a 100 among their peers to join the conclusive National Farmer forum in Phnom Penh in March 2016.