Cambodia makes a range of data and resources available from Cambodia Agricultural Survey

With the release of a wide range of data resources on the agricultural sector, Cambodia has achieved an important milestone in the path towards enabling policy analysts and makers to shape policy with evidence.

The country recently concluded the dissemination program of the Cambodian Inter-Census Agriculture Survey 2019 (CIAS 2019), providing Cambodian policy makers, and national and international stakeholders with access to critical information for agricultural sector policy design, analysis and monitoring. The National Institute of Statistics (NIS) of Cambodia implemented the annual CIAS 2019 in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) and with the support of FAO, a 50x2030 implementing partner.

As a result of the releases, Cambodia has met the growing data needs of different types of users. The package of statistical resources now available online include:

The CIAS 2019 full report in English and Khmer
The Statistical release of the CIAS 2019 in English and Khmer.
An E-book on thematic maps from the CIAS 2019 in English and Khmer.
Dynamic statistical tables are available on the NIS CAMSTAT platform.
The CIAS 2019 anonymized microdata files and the associated documentation, including questionnaires and DDI-metadata (variable level documentation) are catalogued on the NIS Data Archive.

Agriculture is a key sector supporting the Cambodian economy, with a contribution amounting to approximately 21% of GDP in 2019. Information from the CIAS 2019 provides fundamental insights into the agricultural sector and basic data to help assess progress toward achieving national development framework developmental targets.

For example, the National Strategic Development Plan 2019-2023 and the Agricultural Extension Policy aim at reducing poverty, increasing productivity, improving food and nutrition security, and promoting agro-industry. These policies and strategies emphasize that expanding the agricultural sector and improving its productivity are key to ensure rural and economic growth, poverty alleviation and to deliver Cambodia’s promise to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The CIAS 2019 can provide evidence-base policy recommendations to the Cambodian government in order to advance the knowledge needed to support decisions and action plans.

Specific areas where CIAS 2019 data can be used to inform decision making include:

Crop production, area and yields
Fertilizer and pesticides
Food security
Labor migration
Women and land rights
Youth employment
Livelihood strategies
Crop production technologies
Sustainable agriculture
Animal productivity and health
Seed use
Subsistence farming
Productivity in agro-food sector
Gender gap in agricultural productivity
Linkage between self-employment and total output

The now completed dissemination program is a fundamental part of the country’s broader effort to address data gaps in the agricultural sector. It also provides for the setting up of a large-scale regular survey program. This step, combined with other efforts, is helping to usher in a transformation of the agricultural sector. In 2021, Cambodia is planning to conduct its first integrated 50x2030 agricultural survey and, with the support of 50x2030, is working to promote the use of the survey data in agriculture, being one of the countries targeted by the 50x2030 grant competition.

The importance of agriculture is also reflected in the top-level national and socio-economic development policy framework.