Resource information
In response to numerous reports and
claims of poor quality or fake fertilizer that were
extensively reported by farmers, fertilizer dealers, and
government officials of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) over the past three years,
the World Bank, in support of the Royal Government of
Cambodia and in response to the food crisis through the
smallholder agricultural and social protection support
development policy operation (DPO) engaged the international
fertilizer development center (IFDC) to perform a rapid
appraisal of fertilizer quality in Cambodia. A total of 103
samples of fertilizer were collected for analysis of quality
from 26 fertilizer dealers and three importers. Six
Cambodian farmers were interviewed and three fertilizer
manufacturers were visited and interviewed in Ho Chi Minh
city, Vietnam. The field investigations involved extensive
interviews and discussions with public and private
stakeholders and site visits to fertilizer dealer shops and
warehouse locations. It is essential that the Department of
Agricultural Legislation in Cambodia and the field
inspectors have access to reliable and fast fertilizer
analytical services as visual inspections cannot detect
product adulteration or below-guarantee analysis.
