Better Income in a Shorter Time: An IDE Success Story from Cambodia

Then Chanta and his brother-in-law Run Vanna are rice-growing farmers in Otaki village, Cambodia. With limited land, they were not able to move beyond subsistence farming to escape chronic poverty. That changed when they learned about an opportunity to participate in an experimental IDE project to grow straw mushrooms, which get their name from the beds of rice straw where they grow. With plenty of rice straw on hand from their crops, it was an ideal opportunity for the two to earn enough to break the cycle of extreme poverty.

Chantha and Vanna set aside about 40 square metres of land. IDE provided technical assistance and arranged for a micro-loan for mushroom spawn (seed) and plastic sheets to cover the beds. The two began growing mushrooms in 22-day cycles. In just a few months, they had perfected their technique and were producing mushroom yields of up to 105 kg per cycle for a net profit of US$119--an astounding amount for only 22 days work. They sell their produce to a local trader who delivers it to markets in Battambong city about 16 km away.

“Straw mushrooms are not so difficult to plant and maintain,” says Chanta. “They bring in a much better income than other crops and in a much shorter time.” The brothers plan to grow a total of 100 square metres next year, based on the amount of rice straw that they expect to have available. “The income from the mushrooms helps to support our families and allows us to buy fertilizer to improve our rice crop,” says Vanna.

It’s just one example of the ways in which IDE helps small farmers earn more from their existing resources.

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