Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition (CHAIN) end evaluation

CHAIN sought to improve farmers income from vegetables in an inclusive manner and develop the subsector in the provinces. It ran from 2014 to 2022.

Its approach focused on a facilitation process involving private and public partners as well as civil society organisations to deliver goods and services on the input and output side of the horticulture value chains (e.g. extension, inputs, marketing and market information) to meet the needs of poor farmers and processors.

The evaluation concludes that CHAIN interventions transformed the local market systems, built the capacity of local service providers and facilitators, and has the potential for sustainability and replication.

Intervention description

CHAIN focused on improving horticultural production and market linkages in four northern provinces of Cambodia: Kratie, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, and Oddar Meanchey.

It employed a market systems development approach involving private, public and civil society partners to deliver agricultural inputs, technologies and services.

Key interventions included the introduction of new production technologies such as drip irrigation, quality seeds and shaded greenhouses through demo-plots co-invested by farmer-owners and the private sector. The project also supported the establishment of 14 business clusters, market linkages, lead farmer incubators and rural business accelerators.

The project reached 10,000 households in 400 farmer groups, with over 65 per cent of the farmers being women, and helped about 6,000 farmers transition from subsistence farming to semi-commercial or commercial operations.