Following the launch of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s projects to support an annual survey of agriculture in late March 2019, they saw the data collection commenced since the start of July and set to be finished this week.

The survey includes 16 000 households chosen of 1 350 enumeration areas spreading across the country. There were 335 enumerators selected and supervised by 44 fieldwork supervisors and another 40 data supervisors, who are staff of the Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and related provincial departments, with support of FAO statisticians and technical staff based in Rome and in Cambodia. CIAS is made possible with funding from USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Royal Government of Cambodia, FAO in Cambodia and contributions from other development partners.

The data on crop cultivation, livestock, and fisheries generated from the 2019 CIAS will be made public early next year, thanks to a solid collaboration of the National Institute of Statistics of the Ministry of Planning and its line departments, the Departments of Planning and Statistics within MAFF and the FAO in Cambodia. Additional technical support from FAO in Cambodia will ensure that MAFF by addressing their information requirements and identifying analytical needs, and policy and program impact pathways to improve policy and decision-making.

This agricultural survey is to be conducted annually, reflecting commitments to meet the need for sustainable data system, which is pivotal for the areas of agriculture and food security. Without these critical data, governments and other institutions struggle to create effective policies, inspire investment, establish the right programs, and monitor progress. Furthermore, the availability of these statistics will contribute to the measurement of the Cambodia Sustainable Development Goal (CSDG) 2 and its objectives to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition.

Read more about the support of FAO in Cambodia to the annual agriculture survey here.