Organic vegetable demand growing

On a farm in Kampong Speu province, Erm Rim is talking to a small crowd of consumers and journalists, explaining the process of growing vegetables using only natural resources. … Rim talks on the sidelines of a consumer field trip organised by the Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC), an organisation working to build the capacity and knowledge of rural farmers in ecologically sound agriculture. Four times a year, CEDAC visits Kaheng village training farmers like Rim to grow organically. … Besides CEDAC, the Cambodian Organic Agriculture Association (COrAA), a nationwide private sector organisation, works for the promotion of organic agriculture in Cambodia. … Organic vegetable farmers in Cambodia still face challenges in a business less developed than organic rice growing. But with rising awareness of the health benefits, organic vegetables are catching on, with supply outstripping demand. … So far COrAA has certified one group of 72 organic vegetable growers in Svay Rieng province and two larger operations in Kampong Speu, based on chemical-free standards. According to Ayumi Matsuura, project manager and country representative of the International Volunteers of Yamagata (IVY), in 2012 the group from Svay Rieng sold 31 tonnes of chemical-free vegetables in Phnom Penh’s Boeung Trabek market alone, resulting in sales of $39,000. …

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/2013032764708/Inside-Business/organic-vegetable-demand-growing.html