1. The Climate Resilient Rice Commercialization Sector Development Program (RiceSDP) with the total budget of $87.44 million was approved by ADB on 26 August 2013 and declared effective on 13 November 2013. It is composed of program loan amounting to US$24 million from Asian Development Fund (ADF) for policy development and a project of $63.44 million for project activities in the three target provinces of Battambang, Prey Veng and Kampong Thom. The Project is composed of two loans (ADF loan of equivalent $31 million and Strategic Climate Fund’s (SCF) loan of US$5 million) and two grants (grant from Global Agriculture and Food Security Program [GAFSP] of $14.6 million; and SCF grant of US$4.5 million). Closing date of the program loan is 31 December 2016 and that of the Project is 31 March 2020.  

2. The impact is increased net incomes of stakeholders along the rice value chain.  The outcome is enhanced production of quality rice in Cambodia while preserving the natural resource base. The outputs 1 will be (i) A Conducive Legal and Regulatory Environment Established to Facilitate Climate-Resilient Rice Commercialization; (ii) Agricultural Land-use Zoning Improved; (iii) Climate Resilient Rice Value Chain Infrastructure Developed; (iv) Rice Value Chain Support Services Enhanced to Improve Quality of Cambodian Rice; (v) Weatherindexed Crop Insurance Piloted; and (vi) Efficient Program Management and Implementation. Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) is the EA; and Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM), Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC), and Governors’ offices in the three provinces are the IAs.  The program was delegated to ADB Cambodia Resident Mission (CARM) for administration in March 2016.

3. A Program Special Administration Mission2 (the Mission) from the ADB was conducted from 21 April to 10 May 2016 to: (i) review the implementation progress; (ii) identify key implementation issues; and (iii) recommend actions to accelerate project implementation. The Mission met with the staff of the project management office (PMO) in the EA, national implementation offices (NIOs) in MOWRAM, MAFF, and MLMUPC and provincial implementation offices (PIOs) of the three target provinces. List of the persons met is in Appendix 1. A kick off meeting and a wrap up meeting, chaired by H. E. Ros Seilava, Program Director and Under Secretary of State, MEF, and attended by representatives of NIOs and PIOs, were held on 21 April and on 10 May 2016. This aide memoire is subject to approval of the higher authorities of the Royal Government of Cambodia and ADB.