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The aim of the Agricultural Marketing Information Service (AMIS) is to improve agricultural stakeholders’ ability to access, gather, analyze and use information to better respond to market needs.
The Agricultural Marketing Office (AMO) aims to develop an Agricultural Marketing Information Service that provides consistent, accurate and timely market information and intelligence to all concerned stakeholders. This is being done in order to assist the stakeholders in generating higher returns from their relevant enterprises, and to contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction.
The Agricultural Market Information Service has two main components: the market information component and the market development component.
The Agricultural Marketing Officers in Phnom Penh and 13 other provinces collect wholesale agricultural price information three times per week, and retail agricultural price information one time per week, in 22 major markets and other collection points. The price information is broadcasted daily through local FM and AM radio stations, website, bulletins and by SMS. Reports detailing the price information are produced and distributed to the various ministries and relevant institutions in order to assist in policy making and planning.
In 2009, the market information component was further expanded by the introduction of the SMS based market information system. The SMS system assists agricultural producers and traders by giving them access to the price information which is essential for marketing their produce.
At the end of 2007 AMIS was expanded by the introduction of the Farmer Marketing School (FMS). The FMS was developed to assist producers of fruit and vegetables with the production, grading and marketing of their produce. This was done with the involvement of wholesale traders of fruit and vegetables to establish better links between producers and traders and to utilise the marketing knowledge of the traders.
AMO team members in the provinces have been trained as trainers of trainers (TOT) in order to conduct the FMS training. For each FMS between 22 and 26 farmers are trained in pre- and post-harvest techniques, production costing, grading, packaging, storage and marketing. The duration of the training is four days over a period of one to two weeks, and the farmers that participate are selected by the AMO team. Training is also conducted for NGOs. For example, CARE international and ADDA have both received training from the Farmer Marketing School.
Price information and more details about the Farmer Marketing School are now also available on this website.