Phnom penh: The Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders (AIMS) Project reported significant gains in gender inclusion, market integration, and financing mobilisation, benefiting smallholder farmers in rural areas.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the project, implemented by the Ministry of Commerce with support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has reached 94,499 rural households across 18 provinces, surpassing its original outreach target ahead of schedule. Women account for 62 percent of beneficiaries, exceeding the project's gender target and reinforcing their role as key drivers of inclusive rural growth.

H.E. Eng Sothyvon, AIMS Project Director and Director General of the General Department of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, commented that the project's progress reflects strong coordination with provincial authorities and private-sector partners. He stated, 'AIMS is progressing well thanks to strong collaboration across provinces and with our private-sector partners. With additional financing, we will further strengthen business clusters and market linkages to deliver greater benefits for smallholder farmers.'

The project's success is built on an integrated approach that combines targeted grants, commercial lending, and institutional strengthening to connect rural smallholders to higher-value markets. Through the Value Chain Innovation Fund (VCIF) and a Line of Credit implemented in partnership with the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank (ARDB), AIMS has mobilised over US$15 million in combined grant and loan financing. These investments have supported productivity-enhancing technologies, post-harvest handling, and market infrastructure across priority agricultural value chains, including vegetables, chicken, rice seed, and cassava.

Women have played a central role in the project's achievements, representing 55 percent of VCIF grant recipients and 56 percent of farm-level innovation beneficiaries. This involvement has enabled them to scale production, improve quality, and access more stable markets. IFAD Country Director and Representative in Cambodia, Mr. Frew Behabtu, emphasized that the results demonstrate the tangible economic returns of gender inclusion. He remarked, 'Gender equality is not just about numbers, but about empowerment, opportunity, and resilience. When Cambodian women thrive, Cambodia's rural economy prospers.'

An IFAD annual supervision mission conducted in December 2025 confirmed steady implementation progress, noting the establishment of 350 business clusters, an 84 percent adoption rate of improved production technologies, and the facilitation of 1,491 buy-and-sell contracts with a cumulative trade value of US$245 million. The mission also highlighted strengthened sustainability and accountability through enhanced Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures and the rollout of a Grievance Redress Mechanism across all project areas, supporting long-term and responsible rural market development.