Raising Chickens Hatches New Opportunities
Pov is not new to farming or raising chickens, but practicing more successful techniques has gotten her out of debt. Even better, her husband can now live at home and help her with her poultry business instead of migrating for work.
She used to use traditional methods to grow rice and raise chickens on their small plot of land. The chickens often died, she would lose her investment, and have to start over again. She borrowed $1,000 from a micro-finance institution, but her old methods delivered the usual results, and she found herself in debt. That was when her husband migrated for work just so they and their three children could get by.
Local partner OREDA invited Pov to participate in an agricultural training program. A quick study, within a year she was able to join a producers’ group of advanced farmers in her village. Sharing experiences with the group and receiving coaching from a model farmer gave her the opportunity to learn more effective ways of rearing poultry. She’s built better coops, improved hygiene, and carries out basic veterinary practices on her own.
World Renew and local partner OREDA link producer groups like Pov’s to the market, which plays an important role in boosting farmers’ production. Soon Pov was able to sell 77 birds at a profit. With newfound confidence in her skills, she asked her husband to return home and help her expand her farming operations. Now Pov raises 375 chickens at a time, and she has invested in a hatching machine with a capacity of 1,050 eggs. She also started a small grocery store for additional income.
Pov says, “My husband and I plan to build a new 14’ x 20’ chicken house, and I’ll continue to share my experiences with other farmers. We’re also going to buy chicken eggs from group members and sell chicks back to them. After three years, we’ve paid off the debt to the micro-finance institution. My main hope is to continue sending my kids to school. I want them to finish high school. I would be very happy if we can go even further by sending them to colleges or universities.”
Cambodia South Program
Led by World Renew and Local Partners OREDA & KADRA