Fishing and farming are the most important economic activities of rural people in Cambodia: more than
80% of the population who live in the countryside rely extensively on these two activities.
It is often believed that, in economic terms, rice cultivation is the most important rural activity, but this
depends to a large degree on physiographic conditions: proximity to rivers, streams, and lakes or
exposure to annual flooding and, particularly, soil quality.
Traditionally, many people reside in villages close to or inside fishing lots, the most productive
freshwater fishing grounds in Cambodia, exploited under a regime of private concessions, however
proximity to fishing lots has also been the reason why many of the communities located inside or
adjacent to the lots have faced problems of access to surrounding fishing grounds.
As most of these villages are regularly inundated, it is assumed that dependency is higher on fishery
than on rice farming. However, little is known about time allocation patterns for fishing and farming
activities in these communities.
A long-term case study of economic and social activities was conducted for a 1-year period during
1999–2000 in Phlong village, Kompong Chhnang province. A stratified sample of 21 households was
chosen randomly in order to monitor their activities on a daily basis using a simple questionnaire. The
preliminary analysis described in this paper is based on data from the first nine months of the survey,
from December 1999 – August 2000 inclusive. Activities were monitored during the day, from 5 am – 7
pm.
The main objective of the study was to measure and compare the fisheries and farming cultivation
activities of a community living inside a fishing lot. Specifically, the study aimed to compare the time
allocated to different social and economic activities by the inhabitants of Phlong village, inside fishing
lot #14, Kampong Chhnang province. The question of time allocation for social activities and leisure is
considered to be of major importance in relation to how and when to reach the villagers through
extension work.
A comparison between the different activities showed that the ‘domestic activities’ category (which
includes housework, eating and resting) occupied most of the hours monitored daily (49%) compared
to fishing (13.5%), farming (18%) and collection of common property resources (CPRs) (4.7%).
Fishing and farming activities were distributed unevenly as fishing takes place throughout the year
whereas farming activities are concentrated on fewer months. During the farming season, farming
activities predominated as farmers had to spend a great deal of time preparing the land and cultivating
their crops.
A rough estimate of the average household output from fishing and farming activities during the first
nine months of the study were: fish – 383 kg (of which 228 kg were sold); rice – 307 kg; cucumber –
60 kg; beans – 40 kg; and lotus seeds – 42 kg.