Siem Reap - Cambodia

• Launch of the second project phase: construction of two new ponds in order to meet the project’s targets: a 600 m2 area to produce 900 kg of spirulina
• Pursuit of partnership development with local NGOs: “Building your Future Today” in 2 villages for 80 children, Anjali House for a hundred children and Smiling Heart Org.

2nd semester of 2014

The rainy season has started and this has strongly affected the productivity of the ponds in July. This problem is mostly due to the wind, which brings the rain in a lateral manner over the ponds.

1st semester of 2014

The ponds under construction have now been completed. Sowing can start once the spirulina blankets have arrived from France. Currently 400 m2 are operational and have produced 353 kg of spirulina over the first semester, i.e. an average productivity of 4.9g/ m2/ day. 248 kg have been given to Antenna Cambodia, which is in charge of socially distributing the produced spirulina in Siem Reap.
The rainy season started particularly late this year and it is most likely that the rainfalls will be much stronger this September and October than in previous years. This is why the team has chosen to anticipate this period and thus push the ponds’ productivity in order to build up stocks.

• Surface: 400 m2 (of which 200 m2 are farmed and 300 m2 will be added as of October)
• Production in 2013: 248 kg of spirulina in total despite exceptional rainfalls, which caused the production to slow down and made it more difficult than anticipated to cover up the ponds
• Number of jobs created: 4
• Skill transfer: Mrs Kong’s family masters the spirulina growing technique
• We have extended the farm’s network to NGOs located nearby, such as Trailblazer Cambodia Organisation (TCO), ABC’s and Rice, which have allowed us to take action among a destitute population in the villages
• In March 2013, we welcomed Robert Lion, President of Agrisud, as well as a delegation of the General Council of the Hauts de Seine (municipality in France) led by its President, Patrick Devedjian. These visits were very encouraging for ATF and the local teams.
• A seminar on nutrition was organised at the farm in July 2013 thanks to the very efficient help of Wafik Ghommidh, who had been an intern with ATF for 6 months. Around 20 NGOs attended the presentation of Antenna’s activities and discovered the secrets of spirulina production.
• The farm hands on the produced spirulina to Antenna Cambodia, which is in charge of the sales and social distribution to major NGOs.
• The farm balances its operating accounts.

• 2 ponds are operational and farmed by a team of 4 people. The mission of our Technical Director, Vincent Guigon, is to help adapt the new agitation systems and conceive blankets for the ponds.
• In March, a new International Solidarity Volunteer joined the team to help with the programmes. The third pond is operational and a fourth pond is under construction. Total production and yields have decreased due to an abnormal straightness of some of the spirulina and strong rainfalls. The production process is well oiled but progress is yet to be made regarding the understanding of measurements and their impact.
• The rainy season stopped relatively late at mid-November and slowed down production. Bacteriological analyses undertaken in October confirmed the good quality of the produce.
• 5 people now work at the farm, and from a technical point of view the team is self-reliant.
• Start of the social sales via the farm personnel’s network, the development of points of sale and the farm’s NGO contacts.
• 309 kg of spirulina were produced over the year: 94 kg were distributed for free to NGOs, 144 kg account for social sales and 36 kg were sold on the free market.

• Launch of a programme and the necessary steps thanks to the help of Gilles Baube, employed from January 2011 to June 2012. Launch of the works with the help of our Technical Director, Vincent Guigon. Construction of the first 3 circular ponds of 100m2 surface and of a building featuring space for a laboratory and a shop.
• Several training sessions were organised on how to use the equipment of the ponds with its rotation system based on a solar panel (agitation system of the spirulina and automatic cleaning system), how to harvest and how to use the pressing and drying systems of the spirulina.
• Sowing was possible in October, after several unsuccessful attempts with 3 different strains. In November the first harvest took place!
• 75 kg of spirulina were produced at the end of December (yield of 6.5 g/ m2)
• The Institute Pasteur of Cambodia and the French laboratory AQMC validated the quality of the produced spirulina. Applications for the marketing authorisations were sent out to the different administrations.
• Awareness actions were conducted with several local and international NGOs of Siem Reap, interested in distributing spirulina via their own health aid programme.