High quality rice for export Mechanization for reduced cost Suitable varieties Postharvest technologies – In intensified cropping system

Our approaches Market orientated – Agribusiness consideration – Quality produce for export and domestic markets Cooperation between farmer groups and miller groups Target audience- ‘middle class’ smallholders – Emphasis on small implements that are appropriate Participatory research and development – involving farmers and private sector

Three Objectives 1. Assess crop mechanization options for increased labour productivity 2. Apply agronomic and post-harvest innovations for value-added produce 3. Evaluate intensified, diversified, and market-oriented cropping systems to take advantage of mechanization and value-added produce

Objective 1. Mechanization Combine harvester Seed drills Transplanters Others such as Reaper, Bed maker, Drum seeder, Weeders emphasis on implements used with two wheel tractors and for different crops. Machinery may be owned by contractors, but used by farmers.

Combine harvester Advantages – Labour saving – Harvesting and processing Issues – Costly – Paddy size – Same variety Use – Mostly for rice Contractor

Combine harvester- project activities Survey/observation – Labour efficiency of combine harvesting – Agronomic efficiency of combine harvesting Experiments – Effect of time of combine harvesting at different crop maturity stages

Activities Traditional System Combine harvesting Seedbed66 Ploughing99 Harrowing22 Pulling88 Transplanting27 Fertilizing11 Manuring44 Watering66 Weeding55 Spraying11 Harvesting270 Threshing70 Transport20 Total labour10468 Labour requirement for WS rice production in Snao village, Takeo, Cambodia (labour-days/ha) (Chea Sareth 2014).

Units Traditional system Combine harvesting Yieldkg/ha2,805 Seedkg/ha101 Outputkg/ha2,704 Farm gate priceUSD/kg0.28 Gross incomeUSD/ha757 Input expensesUSD/ha214290* Net return to household resources (NRHR) USD/ha Total household labour Labour- days/ha NRHR/labour-dayUSD/day Unit costs and returns for WS rice production; Snao village, Takeo, Cambodia (based on Chea Sareth 2014). * Including 10% of gross income paid to combine contractor.

Seed drill Advantages – Labour saving over transplanting – Ease of inter-row weeding – Less lodging problem Issues – Costly over broadcasting – Moist soil requirement; not saturated soils Use – Early planting; possible crop intensification – Rice and other crops Farmer owned or contractor

Seed drill – project activities Survey/observation – Labour efficiency – Farmer testing of seed drill for different crops Experiments – Soil water content requirement for plant establishment of different crops and rice varieties

Transplanters Advantages – Labour saving – Maintains advantage of transplanting Issues – Expensive; maintenance – Land levelling – Still high labour requirement Use – Seed rice production – High market product Contractor options

Transplanter - Project activities Survey/observation – Labour productivity for seed rice and high quality rice production

Objective 2. Value adding - postharvest Post-harvest technologies – Artificial dryers – emphasis on community approach together with sun drying – Others such as Storage bags, Product packaging for hygiene and quality (e.g., air-tight sealed bags). High quality varieties for improved marketing – Rice particularly non-glutinous aromatic varieties – Mungbean, peanuts, waxy maize New product for promotion of local produce

Harvesting practices Drying practices Milling practices Broken rice Factors contributing to rice cracking Post-harvest losses from harvesting to storage of rice range from 7 to 26%

Community dryer Dryer required for combine harvested high moisture paddies for high quality grain. -Provides flexibility in harvest time and hence rice planting time. Issues: high initial and running cost farmers’ management skills technical selling the product - millers

Petmanyseng Xangsayasane Seed producers (R3) PAFO Xebangfai center (R2) SHDP, NTPC-DSP, KDPC3 Bank, KDPC3 Future- combine harvested Grain producers (GAP) Rice millers (GMP) Rice millers (GMP) Export milled rice SNV, SHDP, PAFO Trade department GoL, Bank and related organizations Concept of rice value chain in Khammouan Current Future

Dryer and storage- project experiments Effect of paddy moisture content and drying temperature on grain cracking Drying temperature requirement for different rice varieties Artificial vs sun drying Quality change during storage of glutinous rice Different storage bags for rice paddy

Objective 3. Innovative cropping systems Innovative cropping systems for diversification and intensification – Involvement of farmer groups in irrigated areas Variety selection suitable for cropping systems – quick maturing – Rice, mungbean, peanuts and maize

Four core villages 1.Khammouan, Nongbok District, Pak-E-Tue village 2.Khammouan, Xebangfai District, Hadkhamhieng village 3.Bolikhamxay, Paksan District, Pakpung village 4.Vientiane, Viengkham District, Naphotai village Each village works on 5ha to test combine harvester, dryer and innovative cropping system (triple cropping). Other villages may test single items – Seed drill, variety evaluation, marketable local product

Intensification and diversification of cropping systems Mechanization for time saving – Combine harvesting reduces harvest time and postharvest work requirement – Drill seeded rice - early planting and early harvesting. Quick maturing varieties to reduce growing periods – Rice or non-rice crops… variety improvement required. Dryers to provide harvest time flexibility- hence planting time flexibility These technology combinations will increase cropping intensity – double and triple cropping – On-farm testing of different options

Irrigation water requirement of cropping systems- project activity Irrigation water not fully available in some areas- water saving technology. Different crops; particularly rice and non-rice crops Application methods ( eg, maize –Vial et al. 2013) Irrigation methodsFurrow- high input Furrow- low input Drip Water input (mm) Yield (t/ha)

Expected outcome of the project Combine harvester introduced in larger areas to maximize labour productivity and appropriate drying methods established. Planting becomes more efficient, and the cropping more diversified and competitive. New high-quality varieties available. Smallholders engaged with private sector More small agribusinesses serving farmers

People involved in the project NAFRI – DG and DDG of NAFRI – Directors and scientists from ARC and PRC Rice, maize and legume scientists Mechanization scientists Postharvest and food technologists Agribusiness specialists GIS mapping specialists – Directors and scientists of provincial centres and associated PAFO and DAFO – Phetmanyseng Xangsayasane for assisting and coordinating UQ – Shu Fukai and Jaquie Mitchell.. Cropping systems – Bhesh Bhandari… Grain drying, product development – Rob Cramb and Jono Newby.. Agricultural Economics ACIAR – John Dixon