The ASDP aims to promote sustainable growth of the market-based agriculture sector in Cambodia, and thereby contributing to overall economic growth and poverty reduction. ASDP facilitates agricultural commercialization and diversification in line with SEDPII and also ensure that the poor and women increasingly participate in agriculture production, marketing, and post-production system.

The project provides farmers with effective agriculture support services, and has been designed to achieve the ASDP’s objectives for increased commercialization of agriculture and reduce rural poverty. The project helps to establish a mechanism to increase participation of farming households in the rural economy through improved productivity and diversification into more marketable, higher-value commodities (crop, livestock, and fishery), and through greater integration of producers into marketing, processing, and related service activities.

The project scope includes:

• extension support for farmer groups
• support services for agro-based enterprises, and
• institutional strengthening for agricultural commercialization. The project promotes more efficient and commercially viable cropping patterns by increasing access to improved inputs, and information on technology and marketing. With improved access to extension services and market information, farmers and their groups will be able to make more informed decisions and adopt more efficient farming practices. Gradual changes in the cropping patterns are expected under the project through farmers’ increased adoption of new agricultural technology and commercial crops.

The project covers the four southern provinces of Kampong Cham, Kampong Speu, Kampot and Takeo.