The ASPIRE is a 7-year programme of the Royal Government of Cambodia. The Programme became effective with the signing of the Financing Agreement between the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and IFAD on 5th March 2015. The Programme Implementation Date is June 2015 and was officially launched on 8-9 October 2015. The original Programme Completion Date was June 2022 and Closing date was 31 December 2022. However, the programme completion date has been extended 31 December 2022 and the Financial Closing Date is 30 June 2023.
The overall development goal of the ASPIRE Programme is to reduce poverty and to increase resilience of 144,000 poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers in Cambodia by increasing an average household agricultural production value by 20% and value of household assets by 25%. The development objective is to establish an “enhanced Cambodia model of agriculture services which is demonstrated as effective for assisting a diversity of smallholder farmers to contribute to broad-based economic growth through profitable and resilience farm businesses and is adopted as policy by 2021”.
The ASPIRE programme promotes policy dialogues between producers, private sector and policy makers- through Programme Budget approach, multi-stakeholder platform or forum, business cluster development, contract farming approach and through policy development and implementation.
- SNEC, NCDDS, DPS, DEAFF, GDA, RUA, NIA, PDAFFs, DAI, RET suppliers, NGOs, Private Sectors (Input Suppliers, Buyers, Supermarkets, Export Companies, etc.)
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- ASPIRE is a programme of the Royal Government of Cambodia, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
- MAFF is the Lead Programme Agency joined by SNEC in implementing Component 1 and by NCDDs in implementing Component 4.
- ASPIRE is led by a Programme Director, supported by ASPIRE Secretariat Support Team Manager and by 2 Programme Managers responsible for Extension, Technology and Research and Programme Budgeting respectively, and one Programme Manager from NCDDs.
- The Programme was designed to run for 7 years, from 2015-2021, however, in light of the Covid-19 global pandemic, the programme has been extended to 2023.
- Development Goal: Reduced poverty and increased resilience of poor and vulnerable smallholder farmers in Cambodia.
- Programme Development Objective: Enhanced Cambodian model of agriculture services is demonstrated as effective for assisting a diversity of smallholder farmers to contribute to broad-based economic growth through profitable and resilient farm businesses.
- Programme Components:
- Evidence-Based Policy Development
- Capacity Development for Extension Services
- Improved Extension Services and (4) Infra structure Supporting Climate Resilient Agriculture.
- Outcome 1: A national investment programme that can be supported by multiple donors is designed to implement an updated extension policy that provides smallholder farmers with access to quality information services.
- Outcome 2: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) has institutional and human resources capacity to manage an effective, demand-driven system linking researchers and knowledge-based agencies to extension agents in public sector, private sector and civil society and to farmers.
- Outcome 3: At least 144,000 smallholders have improved and resilient farm businesses as a result of integrated, demand-led extension services and investment in climate resilient infrastructure.
- Targeted Areas: Countrywide, covering all 24 provinces of Cambodia.
- ASPIRE Extension Instruments: ASPIRE deploys 6 core extension delivery instruments: Contract Out, Public Private Partnership (PPP), Support to Agriculture Cooperatives/Farmer Organizations (AC/FO), Farmer to Farmer (F2) and Direct Public Extension Service (DPES)
- ASPIRE 6 Principles: Link to Market, Business Team Work, Multi-Stakeholder Platform, Food Safety, Climate Resilience and ICT CHAMKA App
- ASPIRE has a budget of USD$86,613,350, (original and additional financing).
She focus for this month was educated at the provincial agricultural college and gained agricultural know how through her studies. She is now deploying her knowledge and her ASPIRE-AIMS acquired technical skills into her sustainable vegetable net house business and is emerging as the face of a new model of young rural women entrepreneurs who are joining hands with the IFAD funded programs in order to create their own quality livelihoods.[/dt_sc_image_caption]
ASPIRE program team of Rolea Bier district and commune outreach agency registered members of the chicken raising Business Cluster in Chea Rao village, Rolea Bier commune, Rolea Bier district. In order to examine the implementation of techniques and problems that farmers face.
As a result, farmer Moeut Ya, who is raising chickens for sale using artificial insemination techniques, has 500 hens and 15 hens and 500 broilers. According to his interrogation, he earns 5,000 riel per month from the sale of 5,000 21-day-old chickens per month, earning 300 kilograms of broilers for R16,000 per kilogram. He is currently planning to expand his business.[/dt_sc_image_caption]
Farmer Mrs. Ny Buntha is living at Sre Ambel commune, Sre Ambel district, prepares to grow safe vegetables in net house that got new technologies are resistant to climate change of ASPIRE programme. She can supply market demand on a regular basis in one day can harvest 5 to 10 kg for sale with a price between 12,000 riel to 15,000 riel per kilogram.[/dt_sc_image_caption]
Agriculture Services Programme for Innovation, Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE) is a programme of the Royal Government of Cambodia, supported by International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
has received a bulk of the financing is provided by IFAD in the form of a loan (USD 26.1 million) and a grant (USD 15 million supported by ASAP). Government funding is estimated at USD 11.4 million of which USD 3 million represents taxes. The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3iE), supported a number of development partners and foundations, will provide financing estimated at USD 932,400 for Randomized Control Trials to be implemented by IFPRI under Component 1. USAID will finance selected activities in Component 2.2 estimated to cost USD 329,423. The Project which is title is the Agriculture Services Programme for Innovation, Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE). Total programme costs are around USD 82.2 million over a seven-year implementation period and include USD 4.1 million of physical and price contingencies. Foreign exchange accounts for about 10% of total programme costs, with duties and taxes making up approximately USD 3 million. Funds allocated to the ASPIRE Secretariat are about USD 10.6 million of 13% of the total Programme costs.
by a Steering Committee (SC) co-chaired at Secretary of State level by Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and with representation from Cambodia Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC), National Committee for Sub-National Democratic Development Secretariat (NCDDS) and Ministry of Environment (MoE) as well as participating provinces together with limited number of representatives of development partners, civil society (farmer organization) and the private sector which will be appointed for not less than one year. ASPIRE will be implemented in accordance with RGC’s May 2012 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), the Financial Management Manual (FMM) and the Procurement Manual (PM), and The Financial Reform Approach (PB).
are organized in four components: Knowledge Based Policy, Capacity Development of Extension Services, Improved Extension Services and Climate Resilient Productive Infrastructure. These components are mutually inter-dependent: outputs in one component may be contingent on achievement of outputs in another, and the outcomes will be achieved through the combined effect of all components.
will take responsibility for overall programme management, coordination and reporting while agencies and line departments of MAFF will undertake the majority of technical and work at national and sub-national levels. SNEC will undertake policy research and analysis (Sub-Component 1.2). NCDD-S will be the implementing agency for Component 4. Provincial Sub-Programmes will be implemented by the Provincial Departments of Agriculture. District Administrations will be the recipients of the Climate Resilience Grants (from NCDDS) and will either implement directly of through sub-grants to the Commune Councils. The Commune Councils will contract Commune Extension Workers and play an important role in coordination and monitoring of extension service delivery.
and the policy and capacity development components will have a national scope. The Provincial Sub-Programmes and Climate Resilient Infrastructure activities will be piloted in five provinces initially, with an expansion to at least five and (contingent on mobilizing additional funds) up to eight provinces from 2018. Taking these criteria into account, RGC has agreed to pilot ASPIRE in five provinces: Battambang, Kampong Chhnang, Kratie, Preah Vihear, Pursat and Steung Treng. Subject to satisfactory progress in developing the programme-based approach, ASPIRE expanded to Kampot, Kandal, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng and Takeo with phasing out of the PADEE project in 2018. The phase 2 programme is in scaling up (2019-2021) and expanded to 9 PDAFFs more which bring ASPIRE to 20 provinces in 2019, plus four additional provinces to be identified by Mid-Term Review and contingent upon mobilization of additional funds.
was signed between RGC and IFAD on 05 March 2015 and the program will become fully operational by July 2015. Accordingly, RGC is seeking the services of national specialists in programme management to provide expert advice to the Provincial Departments of Agriculture (PDA) one among 20 ASPIRE target provinces.