CFAP General Assembly_2020!

On 7th of March 2020, the Cambodian Farmer Federation Association of Agricultural Producers (CFAP Cambodia) gathered by 26 farmers’ associations/cooperatives as members come from across the country to 1). approve the terminated board members, 2). nominate a managing director, 3). validate new board members and executive committee, 4). conclusion and evaluation of annual achieved results included financial report, 5). review internal working policy, next annual action plan and budget, review and approve over the association’s statute and internal rule, and 6). approve on changing of association’s name, logo, termination of activities and or amendment of the association’s statute. The quorum of the General Assembly is 2/3 participation in by member associations/cooperatives and the decision making validated by voices of 50+1 of the total participants. The chairperson, vice chairpersons and a managing director have a five-year mandate after each election year of the board, then a managing director is required to re-nominate accordingly. The GA had also discussed on other issues such as agriculture, water, small scale businesses, capacity building for farmer members and staff members, agricultural standards to meet current and future market demands (Participatory Guarantee System PGS, Geographical Identification GI and Good Agricultural Practice GAP), selling of produces to sub-national and national markets, networking with relevant stakeholders included agricultural inputs suppliers, processing/packaging, agricultural machinery inputs suppliers, source of finance to improve agricultural production and value chains and participation in policy discussion at sub-national, national and international levels.

The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the association which all leaders and representatives of members’ associations and cooperatives meet annually to discuss their issues. According to CFAP’s statute article 15, the General Assembly will be organized annually, however the chairperson and vice chairpersons of the board will be elected once every five year, 2018 was the last election of the board, according to this the next election of the board would be in March 2023. CFAP has organized the General Assembly by itself in collaboration with members’ associations/cooperatives. In 2020, the General Assembly participated by 49 participants, 15 females as farmer leaders and representatives.

CFAP currently has 26 farmers’ organisations as members in 12 provinces and municipalities and represented 106,590 farmer members, 54,959 females (52%) in Cambodia. The General Assembly holds once a year to Discuss issues of member associations/cooperatives, Presentation of annual achieved results, Review and Evaluation of Annual Action Plan and Budget (AWPB), Financial Report, Review next Action Plan and Budget, Review Association’s Statute and Association’s Working Strategy and Internal Guidelines. The GA could enable farmers the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences on various issues related to their farming and marketing practices. The General Assembly had also provided opportunity for CFAP staff members to share about their services provided to producer associations/cooperatives through the projects/programmes such as Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS), Agriculture Services Programme, for Innovation, Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE), and the Sustainable Assets for Agriculture Markets, Business and Trade Project (SAAMBAT) as all these project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC). CFAP in these projects/programmes has lobbied donors and the government agencies to involve producer associations and cooperatives as members in the projects/programmes, therefore members’ associations/cooperatives could get access to direct support from the project at sub-national and district or commune levels, especially on vegetable production chicken production, rice production, cassava production and silk production and value chains. Institutional strengthening is made accordingly through field visits conducted by staff members which focused on economic literacy, KM, organizational governing structure and small-scale business of producer associations/cooperatives at sub-national level.

Ms. AN Sarun as a chairwoman remarked in the opening session that CFAP’s General Assembly is the opportunity for members’ associations/cooperatives to meet and discuss our issues by ourselves, reviewed what we had done in 2019 and action plan for 2020.  She said, 2020 remarked us as a challenging year as the community is facing drought that caused problems for smallholders to continue growing vegetable and raising animals, especially chicken production. Even though, she expressed her sincere thanks to CFAP as the association has continued to provide facilitation services to members’ associations/cooperatives to ensure that CFAP is working for members. She added, she appreciated also to the growth of CFAP’s member cooperatives this year i.e. there are three new agricultural cooperatives registered as members i.e. 1). Meanchey Reaksmey Rong Roeurng Agricultural Cooperative in Battambang province, 2). Meurn Chey Samakee Svay Chek Agricultural Cooperative in Svay Rieng province and 3). Toul Vihear Agricultural Development Cooperative in Svay Rieng province, the Thmey Samakee Agricultural Development Association in Kampong Speu is required to follow up after the GA.

Achieved Results and Action Plans for 2020 onward: SOK Sotha as a managing director made a presentation of the achieved results in 2019 to the General Assembly (GA). He started by debriefing about why GA? How GA? And History of CFAP since 2002 till present to the GA. According to SOK Sotha, CFAP is specialized on 1). Vegetable, 2). Rice, 3). Animal and 4). Institutional Strengthening beside participation in policy discussion and lobbying. He added that CFAP has focused mainly on a). Capacity Building, b). Policy Participation, c). AgriBusiness and Value Chain, d). Climate Change and Contract Farming.

 Activities conducted by CFAP’s national secretariat in 2019 are as follow:

• Participated in the project design development “the Sustainable Assets for Agriculture Markets, Business and Trade Project (SAAMBAT)”, the participation was invited by Ministry of Rural Development.
• Provided facilitation services as HUB Farmer Facilitator for the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS), Contract Agreement signed with Ministry of Commerce (MOC).
• As a member of the Working Group on Climate Change of the World Farmers’ Organisation.
• Involvement producers’ associations/cooperatives as members in the Agriculture Services Programme, for Innovation, Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE).
• Co-Executor of the Medium Term Cooperation Programme Phase II, MTCP2-AFOSP-Cambodia.
• Participation in discussion about the project Asia Pacific Farmer Platform (APFP) with the Sub-Regional Implementing Agency (SRIA) and Regional Implementing Agency (RIA).
• Meeting with Committee on Food Security of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Joined in KLIMAKERS Programme
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Sambou Meanchey Agricultural Cooperative and submitted to IFAD through MTCP2 NIA on 3^rd January 2019
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Siem Reap Meanchey Melon Association and submitted to IFAD through MTCP2 NIA on 28^th December 2018
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Chicken Production Improvement and submitted to MTCP2 NIA on 14^th June 2019
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Vegetable Production Improvement and submitted to MTCP2 NIA on 26^th June 2019
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Drinking Water Production Improvement for the Family Economic Development Association (FEDA) and submitted to MTCP2 NIA on 14^th June 2019
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Drinking Water Production Improvement for the Svay Ang Agricultural Cooperative (SACK) and submitted to MTCP2 NIA on 14th June 2019
• Develop and Design a project proposal for Ware House for the Svay Chrum Agricultural Cooperative and submitted to MTCP2 NIA on 14th June 2019
• Encouraged youth in agriculture from CFAP to participate in the Global Forum for Food and Agricultural 2019 in Berlin, Germany under the theme “Digitalization for Agricultural Solution in the Future” on 15-20 January, 2019
• Forum on Partnership Between the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and the Civil Society Organisations in Cambodia on 17^th January 2019
• Extraordinary board meeting to review the work plans of CFAP Cambodia that have achieved in 2018 prior to the CFAP’s 7th General Assembly that will be held in March 2019 on 22^nd January, 2019
• General Assembly of Svay Chrum Agricultural Cooperative on 30^th January, 2019
• Training on Strategic Planning to National Farmer Organizzations in Cambodia under the Medium Term Cooperation Program Phase II on 30-31 January 2019
• The 3rd Best Paddy Competition in Cambodia on 1^st February, 2019
• Monthly meeting of the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) on 12^th February, 2019
• Forum on Rice Seed in Prey Veng on 12^th February, 2019
• Participation in the General Assembly of FACE, the FO in MTCP2 network on 21^st February, 2019
• Study visit of farmer leaders to a successful backyard chicken rearers and value chain on 4^th March, 2019
• Participation in workshop on rice production in Cambodia and value chain on 4^th March, 2019
• Best Agricultural Cooperative Competition for 2019 on 5^th March, 2019
• Board meeting to review the action plans of the MTCP2-AFOSP-Cambodia executed by CFAP Cambodia in 2018 and action plan as planned in the AWPB for 2019 prior to the CFAP’s 7th General Assembly that will be held in March 2019 on 12^th March, 2019
• Capacity building for National Farmers’ Organisations in MTCP2 network on 18-19 March, 2019
• Monthly meeting of the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) on 19^th March, 2019
• Agricultural Cooperative conducted Trade Fair at Skun Market, Kampong Cham province on 20-21 March, 2019
• Study visit of FOs in MTCP2 network to PICNIC farm in Srae Ambel district, Koh Kong province on 25-26 March, 2019
• General Assembly (GA) of the Cambodian Farmer Federation Association of Agricultural Producers on 29^th March, 2019
• First board meeting for the fifth mandate after the GA held last 29th of March 2019 to review and follow up the results of the GA and discussion on action plan for MTCP2 based on AWPB for 2018-2019 held on 2^nd April, 2019
• Training of Trainer (TOT) on vegetable production to FOs in MTCP2 network held on 3-5 April, 2019
• Meeting with the private sector to discuss on collaboration opportunity held on 5^th April, 2019
• Training of Trainer (TOT) on chicken production to SNFOs in MTCP2 network held on 8-10 April, 2019
• Meeting of the National Technical Working Group on Agricultural and Water (TWGAW) held on 9^th April, 2019
• National Impact Assessment for the Medium Term Cooperation Program Phase II held on 10-12 April, 2019
• Board meeting to reflect about MTCP2 budget to execute MTCP2’s activities in 2019 following the results of workshop on national impact assessment for MTCP2 Cambodia facilitated by AFA as SRIA held 10-12 April 2019 in Sunway Hotel, Phnom Penh. The meeting held on 19^th April, 2019
• Meeting to disseminate a registration office to vote for the provincial chamber of commerce in Svay Rieng held on 25^th April, 2019
• Meeting of the national steering committee of the Medium Term Coopwration Program Phase ii (MTCP2) in Cambodia held on 2^nd May, 2019
• Meeting to establish the project on business-orientation on agricultural cooperative model in conjunction with the project completion workshop of MAFF in collaboration with JICA to support cooperatives in Cambodia held on 3^rd May, 2019
• Training on business planning for NFOs and NGOs for five ASEAN countries in Siem Reap held on 3-6 May, 2019
• The consultation forum between the sub-national government and associations/NGOs/cooperatives in Svay Rieng under the theme “Cooperation in Partnership between Svay Rieng Province Administration and Civil Society Organisations” held on 9^th May, 2019
• Board meeting to review on organisational strengthening, CFAP buisness CANVAS Model for FOs, participation in policy development and involvement of FOs in other projects held on 11^th May, 2019
• Partial extraordinary board meeting amongst the former chairman of CFAP, Chhuon Sarin, current deputy chairman who is responsible for treasurer, Ken Yaim and a lead founder and managing director of CFAP, SOK Sotha to discuss on organisational strategy to have achieved organisational and financial sustainability of the CFAP and FOs as members by 2023. The meeting held on 14^th May, 2019
• To strengthen small scale businesses of sub-national farmers’ organisations to ensure that the organisation can provide direct services to farmer members and vice versa with sustainabilityheld on 16^th May, 2019
• General Assembly of World Farmer Organization (WFO) held on 20-23 May, 2019
• The UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-2022 held on 27-29 May, 2019
• Election of the chairperson for the chamber of commerce in Svay Rieng region held on 27^th May, 2019
• Disability and Gender Inclusive Development Workshop held on 5-6 June, 2019
• Extraordinary board meeting to discuss about the project development and linking farmers access to markets held on 18^th June, 2019
• Preparatory meeting before the 2019 Mekong Hub Knowledge and Learning Fair (MKLF) organized by IFAD from 10-12 July 2019 in Bangkok,Thailand held on 24^th June, 2019
• Learning Forum on Agricultural Cooperative Business in Cambodia held on 25-26 June, 2019
• Coordination meeting between national farmers’ associations and GRET held on 28^th June, 2019
• Board meeting to follow up the results of previous board meeting on action plan and AWPB within MTCP2 for 2018-2019 held last 2nd April 2019. The meeting held on 30^th June, 2019
• Board meeting to discuss on using budget of the project(s) and the CFAP as well as the cooperatives at all levels, especially the community level for improving the capacity on business management and institutional strengthening. The meeting held on 2^nd July, 2019
• Board meeting to discuss and debrief on achieved results for 1st semester 2019 (January-June), task assignment for board members and nomination of the candidate for an elected position of the board members to seat with the Cambodia Rice Federation. The meeting held on 4^th July, 2019
• Meeting with the five NFOs in MTCP2 network to nominate and elect three NFOs to represent at CRF and organisation of the national farmer forum by end 2019. July,4^th 2019
• Field visit to follow up the project to support warehouse and collection point for smallscale businesses of the Svay Chrum Agricultural Cooperative. July, 5^th 2019
• Conduct mission to sub-national farmers’ organisations (SNFOs) in respective FOs network. July, 2-6, 2019
• Mekong Learning Fair 2019 “MKLF2019”. July 9-12, 2019
• The enhancement of multi-stakeholder engagement for farmers to access water, capital and market in Agribisiness in particular small scale farmers. July 22, 2019
• Meeting to have a brief introduction of the farmer livelihood improvement association (FLIA) and the recruitment of services providers to support the association in the framework of the Tonle Sap Poverty Reduction and Smallholder Development Project, Phase II supported by ADB and IFAD in Cambodia. July 29, 2019
• Workshop on the ASEAN Guidelines on Responsive Investment on Food, Agriculture and Forestry. July 30-31, 2019
• CRF Board meeting. July 30, 2019
• Workshop on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. July 31, 2019
• Meeting of the multiple-committee of the civil society organisations prior to the organisation of the National Farmer Forum for 2019. August 8^th, 2019
• The Cambodia National Farmer Platform (CNFP) represented by five national farmers’ organisations had conducted a meeting to study on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. August 8^th, 2019
• CRF’s 3rd Annual General Assembly. August 9^th, 2019
• Contract Farming Signing Ceremony between producer assoiation and buyer(s). August 12, 2019
• Farmers’ organisations in MTCP2-AFOSP-Cambodia network met with Asia Dhrra’s project coordinator to discuss on MTCP2’s activities and the Asia Pacific Farmer Platform (APFP). August 16^th, 2019
• Our Agricultural Cooperative hosted a study visit of the Minister of Foreign Affair of Japan. August 23^rd, 2019
• Extraordinary meeting of the board to review the progress activities in the first Semester in 2019 (January to June), challenges faced by CFAP in implementing the programmes and projects, collaboration with development partners and action plan for the Second Semester in 2019. September 6^th, 2019
• Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of founding Faclitation Association of Economiy for Cooperatives (FAEC). September 7^th, 2019
• CFAP hosted a meeting with the VNU, one of the agriculture conference & exhibition organizers come from Thailand that will take place in the next coming months. September 9^th, 2019
• Strengthening the collaboration between the civil society organisations and the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) at sub-national level to ensure that farmers’ organisations and other development partners have contributed actively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Cambodia to meet the target in 2030. September 10^th, 2019
• Briefing with CFAP’s staff members to reflect services provided to farmer members and farmers in network. September 25^th, 2019
• Follow up progress of SNFOs as members and FOs in MTCP2 network. October 1^st, 2019
• Consultation Workshop on Investment Facilitation for Sustainable Development in Cambodia. October 2^nd, 2019
• Field visit to follow up the project to support small enterprise on drinking water producing for small-scale businesses of the Svay Ang Agricultural Cooperative. October 3^rd, 2019
• Piloting Quality Declared Seed System of Cambodia at GDA-MAFF. October 4^th, 2019
• World Trade Organization Public Forum (WTO) and Board Meeting of World Farmers’ Organization (WFO). October 8-11, 2019
• Pre-meeting of the organizing Committee come from multiple development partners included farmers’ organisations to divide role and responsibility for the 8th National Farmers Forum. October 15^th, 2019
• The Consultation Workshop on Preparation of Technical Guideline for National Organic Standard. October 16^th, 2019
• 8th National Farmers Forum under the theme “Enhancement of Multi-Stakeholder Engagement to Enable Farmers to invest in Agriculture”. October 16-17, 2019
• Meeting of the five national farmers’ organisations to review the MTCP2-AFOSP-Cambodia and the Asia Parcific Farmer Platform (APFP). October 20^th, 2019
• Meeting with teamwork of the National Intellectual Property Strategy (NIPS) to discuss about the involvement of the national farmers’ organisations in Cambodia in the national intellectual Property Stratey (NIPS). October 21^st, 2019
• Pre-meeting of the national farmers’ organisations platform to select representatives to seat at the granted seats at the Cambodia Rice Federation (CRF). October 30^th, 2019
• Annual General Meeting and Annual Network Reflection 2019. October 30-31, 2019
• Workshop on promoting responsible investment in agricultural sector, forestry and fisheries in Cambodia. October 31^st, 2019
• Gender Justice and Woman Economic Empowerment in Oxfam Work. November 1^st, 2019
• Strategic Workshop on Farmer Organization and Value Chains. November 6^th, 2019
• Workshop on Promotion and Distribution of Fertilizers in Svay Rieng Province. November 20^th, 2019
• The 12th Cambodian Fruit and Vegetable Exhibition and the 2nd Cambodian Silk Forum 2019. November 21-24, 2019
• Business meeting with the Export Manager of the machinery company. November 26^th, 2019
• AliSEA Implementation Session on ASSET Project Development. November 29^th, 2019
• Study visit of farmers group come from Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam. November 29 till 2^nd December, 2019
• Sub-national farmer organisations (SNFOs) and Local Staff Based (LSB) of the Cambodian Farmer Federation Association of Agricultural Producers (CFAP Cambodia) to visit the standardized vegetable production that followed the so called “Participatory Guarantee System) in Siem Reap province to study how farmers produces the PGS vegetable production. December 16-18, 2019
• Learning Exchange Visit to Philippines: Saving and Credit Cooperatives and Approaches to Market Consolidation. December 15-19, 2019
• Meeting between the Ministry of Commerce and relevant stakeholders included farmers’ organisations to present about future staff development for the Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS). December 23^rd, 2019

COVID-19 Pandemic: It is clear that smallholder members in rural Cambodia now have affected gradually for sale of their products as most of the restaurants and entertainment places were closed. Super markets have reduced their order from the sub-national producer associations/cooperatives. Base on this lesson learned, therefore CFAP realized that building more capacity of smallholders and their sub-national producer associations/cooperatives on processing/packaging, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and strengthening on transportation means are necessarily needed at the moment in particularly during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic.