Phnom Penh: 19 December 2023 Cambodia continues its progress in leveraging agricultural survey data to inform policy decisions and advance sustainable development. The release of the Cambodia Agriculture Survey 2022 and 2023 (CAS 2022 and CAS 2023) marks a pivotal moment in the nation’s efforts to enhance agricultural statistics and strengthen its capacity for evidence-based policymaking.
The CAS 2022 included the Production Methods and Environment (PME) module, providing critical insights into sustainable farming practices, resource management, and the environmental impacts of agriculture. CAS 2023, conducted during the Agricultural Census year, streamlined its focus on core aspects such as crop cultivation, livestock and poultry raising, aquaculture, and capture fishing to reduce respondent burden.
To ensure consistency and reliability, CAS 2022 data weights were recalibrated to align with the upcoming Census of Agriculture Cambodia 2023 (CAC 2023), scheduled for release in early 2025. This recalibration ensures cohesive and accurate agricultural data across survey and census findings.
The results of CAS 2022 and 2023 were unveiled during a workshop attended by high-level officials from the National Institute of Statistics (NIS), the Ministry of Planning (MOP), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), and development partners. The findings highlight Cambodia’s contributions to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 2.3.1: Volume of production per labor unit by farming enterprise size. SDG 2.3.2: Average income of small-scale food producers, disaggregated by sex and indigenous status. SDG 2.4.1: Proportion of agricultural area under sustainable practices. SDG 5.a.1: Gender-disaggregated ownership and tenure rights over agricultural land.
Approximately 1.86 million household agricultural holdings, representing 52% of households nationwide. 93% of agricultural holdings engaged in crop cultivation, with 75% raising livestock or poultry. CAS 2022 provided deeper insights into sustainable practices, including soil and water management, agroforestry, and climate resilience.
Following the report release, anonymized microdata from CAS 2022 is now publicly available on Cambodia’s national data catalogue at https://microdata.nis.gov.kh, offering researchers and policymakers invaluable resources. CAS 2023 microdata is expected to be released in early 2025.
The Cambodia Agriculture Survey program, implemented under the leadership of NIS-MOP in collaboration with MAFF, receives technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the 50×2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap. This initiative demonstrates Cambodia’s dedication to evidence-based policymaking and its leadership in advancing agricultural statistics.
At the report launch event, H.E. Bin Traochhey, Minister, Ministry of Planning, explained that “this agricultural survey data source has contributed significantly to the calculation of value added and economic growth of the agricultural sector in Cambodia and the development of agricultural development policies in Cambodia.”
Rebekah Bell, FAO Representative for Cambodia, emphasized the significance of the survey findings, stating, “The findings we unveil today represent more than just statistics. They tell a story of collaboration, shared vision, and unwavering commitment. This milestone was achieved through the steadfast partnership between the National Institute of Statistics under the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and the FAO, with invaluable support from the 50×2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap.”
She further highlighted the broader impact of the collaboration, noting, “Our collaboration has enhanced survey methodologies and built a strong foundation for high-quality data. This empowers policymakers, researchers, and development partners to make informed decisions, even in the face of economic uncertainties.”
The launch of CAS 2022 and 2023 paves the way for future surveys, including CAS 2024, which has recently concluded data collection and features a module on Machinery, Equipment, and Assets (MEA). Additionally, the Census of Agriculture Cambodia 2023 is in its final stages of analysis and is expected to be released in early 2025. These efforts, supported by FAO, continue to strengthen data quality and national capacity for statistical analysis, fostering sustainable agricultural development.
Reports, data tabulations, and methodologies: https://www.nis.gov.kh/index.php/km Microdata: https://microdata.nis.gov.kh, and CAMSTAT data tabulations: https://camstat.nis.gov.kh/topic/agriculture.
Photo by: Supplied
