Srer Khmer-Rice Seed Enterprise Project Rice is the principal crop of farmers in Cambodia. Rice production accounts for 15 percent of agricultural value added and paddy occupies 75 percent of the cultivated land. Rice production, processing, and marketing are estimated to employ about 3 million people,or more than 20 percent of the country#s working-age population. Rice production as the main crop to sustain the livelihood of mostCambodian in rural area. This production output is dependent upon many inputs, of which rice seed is one of the most critical. Without available or accessible quality seed, many small-scale farmers are exposed to the potential of food insecurity and they depend on previous year successive rice seed saving for their future rice cultivation. Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery (MAFF) set-off its direction for 2018 to increase the total rice production to at least 9.44 million tons per year through boosting the purerice seed production and providing the extension work to farmer to produce this type of rice for better market. This project is created aiming to contribute this direction. It will work with 15 farmer seed producer groups (RSPG), at least 300 small-scale farmers,including 50% of women, to produce and market high-quality seeds, adapted to the needsof farmers.

The overall objective of the project is to enhance the livelihoods, income and rice seed security of small-scale farmers by improving their rice seed production andaccess to high-quality seeds adapted to farmers# needs and preferences. Specific project objectives include:
- Strengthen the capacity of seed producer groups targeted to improve affordability and access of appropriate rice seeds for small-scale farmers in their local communities
- Foster enabling conditions and partnerships with private sector for diffusion of rice seeds through farmer seed enterprises development

Oxfam in partnership with a local partner organization namely Srer Khmer (SK), have been working with a fewgroups of smallholder farmers, mostly women, that were trained on SRI and rice seed production. These groups called RSPG  produce the fragrant rice seed for selling in their community. The groups have the potential to become rice seed production enterprises. Therefore, the fund under this project will enable SK to enlarge its work with existing RSPGs and establish more new RSPGs in Pursat province to produce rice seed for their communities.

The direct beneficiaries of this project are 300 small-scale farmers, including 55% women, involved in RSPGs in thetargeted area as well as the partner staff from NGOs, Provincial Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fishery (PDAFF), Cambodia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) of MAFF and the agri-business companies/entrepreneurs (seed buyers).

The indirect beneficiaries are the 1,200 household members of the groups and other small-scale farmers in the communities who will have access to good quality rice seed and increase their rice crop productivity. The project targeted 2 rural districts inPursat province: Kandieng and Krakor district. These districts have the highest poverty rate in the country (over 28%)and most of smallholder#s household livelihoods highly depend on rice production. Other actors in agricultural sector may also benefitfrom this project include local traders, rice millers, exporters in Pursat province and relevant policy makers. Local traders, rice millers and exporters will be connected in the form of contract farming with RSPGs for supplying rice seed. In addition, theproject works in close collaboration with General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) of MAFF for rice seed productions by linking and encouraging small-scale farmers to seek support from public and private sector to enhance their capacity in soil fertility, water, pest, and disease management, minimize risk and increase market opportunities.

The project#s results also contribute strongly to the outcomes of the Resilience Program in Oxfam Country Strategy (OCS) 2015 # 2020 in Cambodia. The project willalsocreate synergies with and add value to Oxfam#s on-going project investments, namely the Women#s Economic Empowerment in Agriculture (WEEA) project, which isbeing implemented by SK in Pursat province. The project will select the potential farmers from WEEin Agriculture project to supportgood quality of rice seed and establish as rice seed producer groups. The existing rice seed producer group of WEE in Ag project can exchange their learning and sharing good experiences in both technical and groupmanagement from successful RSPG of this project. The project staff will work together as team to regularly attend in the monthly/quarterly meeting with WEE in Agriculture project staff meeting for updating, partnering, sharing and cooperating. Furthermore,WEEinAgriculture project will continue to support RSPGs after the SEED project finished.