Discussion meeting between PMU staffs and CARDI about the implementation of the project
1st November 2019, Time: 9:00-11:00AM. Mr. Pollard, TL CS2 CFAVC and Bunny, PMU MAFF we had a good meeting with Dr Ouk Makara, Director of Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI). The meeting we discussed overall of the CFAVC project related to CARDI package both technical and financial as well as human resources include international TA for project implementing during the project life time that to date at least remain 5 years.
At the first session Dr Ouk Makara, introduced the history of CADI, existing resources include affordable capacity to collaborate and partial share inputs to the CFAVC project. Actually CARDI is part of sharing package from CS3/IRRI (financial source) for implementation but it relevance to CS2 as related to capacity building too. Such example one indicator of PAM stated during the project life time at least 15 Mango Farm Demonstration are introduced within the target area and so on. Dr Ouk Makara emphasized that CARDI are keen to start the commercialization process as soon as possible. CARDI are aware of the varieties suitable for dissemination and do not feel that CS2 need to wait for mobilization of package CS3 with IRRI. Pollard Blakeley agreed to contact e-Gen (contractor for CS2) and request early mobilization of the Seed Commercialization & Intellectual Property Specialist, who will advise CARDI on appropriate contract forms for CARDI to release breeder seed / seedlings to private sector partners. The private sector partners would then take on responsibility for rapid multiplication and commercial distribution of hybrid varieties. Dr Makara assured Pollard Blakeley and Heng Bunny that legislation for breeder's rights in Cambodia is strong enough to protect CARDI ownership of the varieties to be released.
Mr. Pollard, TL CS2 CFAVC informed to Dr Ouk Makara, about proposed inception meeting soon will be conducted in late November or early December 2019 for CS2, but last night after submission request to ADB, the decision advice should waiting until ready all CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS5 we will do once inception meeting together. So the inception meeting will postpone to Jan or Feb 2020 as waiting for joining with CS1, CS3 and CS5 as currently in the recruitment and selection process. During the meeting we had chance visiting basic infrastructures such as unit of plant breeding, plant protection, soil and water sciences and agronomy and farming system. We also had short visit the research site (trials) such as cereal, legume, vegetable, fruit trees, root crops and ornamental plants as well as variety development and conventional breeding. We had basically understood the current situation of CARDI and had a good meeting with fruitful discussion.