Left Flank

Online Newshour's Fred De Sam Lazaro reports how a national program is reclaiming Cambodia's 'Killing Fields' and feeding a region, all without corporate fertilizers and intervention.

Men Sarom, Cambodia Rice Institute: Some variety respond well for drought, some not. Some respond well for, you know, flood, some not.

When we planted the traditional rice in the past, we only got about one ton per hectare. Now it's increased more than twice that. We get more than two-and-a-half tons her hectare.

Fred De Sam Lazaro: Men Sarom heads Cambodia's rice institute, which has tried to reverse the terrible legacy. Set up in the mid-'80s with help from the Australian government and the International Rice Research Institute, they began to bring rice back to what became known as the killing fields.

Men Sarom: We successfully developed many rice varieties.

Fred De Sam Lazaro: Now, are you developing new varieties or restoring old varieties or a combination?

Men Sarom: Both. Both.

Fred De Sam Lazaro: The institute's extension agents, like Heng Vuthy, work in the fields, training or re-training farmers.

Heng Vuthy, Extension Agent (through translator): We tell them to use the right type of seedlings, especially the ones from the institute. Farmers find it easier to use chemicals because they don't need to work as hard, but it doesn't help them the next year, because they have to keep buying it.

We train them on how to space their crops, how to use natural fertilizers, instead of the chemical ones, and how to prepare their rice fields.

Fred De Sam Lazaro: One of her clients is Kun Kamara, who uses homemade compost and seedlings developed by the rice institute on the nine acres she cultivates with her husband, Prum Keth.

Prum Keth, Farmer (through translator): When we planted the traditional rice in the past, we only got about one ton per hectare. Now it's increased more than twice that. We get more than two-and-a-half tons her hectare.

Farmer (through translator): Yes, we're very happy. But even though we're happy, we're still poor.

I wonder how long this experiment in national and local agriculture will last.