Bolaven means “the home of the Laven people,” and the Laven who work at Lao PDR’s Bolaven Farms Limited are producing world-class organic coffees. With a focus on education and output quality, this startup is empowering farmers through a resident organic farming program. 

The resident program is two years long and designed to break the cycle of poverty one family at a time. It provides paid employment with room, board, organic farming training, and medical coverage. Upon graduation, farmers qualify for loans to establish seven-acre farms or work as contractors. This system equips the poor with real jobs, not aid or subsidies.  

Bolaven Farms is committed to quality. They view soil as a resource, that when taken care of, will increase yields and quality. The startup also manages nitrogen-enriching plants, grass-fed livestock, and composting. These combined systems preserve and respect the soil ecosystems in the Bolaven Plateau.  

MATCh will continue to support this startup to expand their operations.  MATCh is a program of the Mekong Business Initiative, a private sector development partnership of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that equips entrepreneurs to scale and thrive. 

New Idea Enterprise from Cambodia developed an innovative solution to the problem of post-harvest loss. Using unharvested and unsold bananas, they make an all-natural sugar.  

Founder Lim Phara had 20 years of industry experience before joining New Idea Enterprise. He noticed that the area has thousands of banana farms with high yields during the rainy season. Demand for the fruit is low during this season. Cambodians don’t have national festivals and farmers don’t have disposable income to buy them. Some harvests were stores, and others weren’t collected at all.  

New Idea Enterprises began buying excess green bananas from farmers. Once ripe, they are milled into a liquid. The liquid is boiled until all that remains are sugar crystals. The sugar can be used in coffee, tea, and regular cooking.  

New Idea Enterprise was a finalist in the Mekong Agritech Challenge (MATCh). MATCh is a program of the Mekong Business Initiative, a private sector development partnership of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that equips entrepreneurs to scale and thrive. 

“The problem that we are solving is access to bulk post-harvest drying for small farmers. In Myanmar, as in many of the countries in that area, the most valuable harvests happen during the rainy season,” according to Brian Powell, CEO of Farm Tech.  

Farms in Myanmar are starting to mechanize, making the harvest process more efficient. Challenges still face the industry. Rains during the harvest mean that farmers must sell most of their crop wet and for less money than a dry crop. 

Until recently, access to drying machines was cost-prohibitive. Farm Tech created village-level businesses that charge only $12 per ton. This price helps farmers add a $27 profit to each ton dried. The drying business makes money, and the farmers get a boost in income .  

Farm Tech is working with the Ministry of Commerce and several NGO’s. THey plan to expand into 20 townships and 200 villages over the next two years. There are still over 8,000 villages in Myanmar that need drying businesses in their communities.  

MATCh will continue to support this startup to grow their network and physical locations. MATCh is a program of the Mekong Business Initiative, a private sector development partnership of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that equips entrepreneurs to scale and thrive. 

Khmer Organics is producing affordable organic fruits and vegetables for Cambodians and equipping farmers with knowledge of organic production. Through this, they are working toward establishing a farming ecosystem that is free of chemicals and genetically modified seeds. 

Their business operates in two parts: the co-op and the farms. Located in Phnom Penh, their co-op has three locations throughout the city. Customers also have the option to shop online for delivery or pickup. The farms are using traditional growing methods combined with modern concepts of preparing the soil, planting, and harvesting. The combined approach is better for the environment, but also ensures a more efficient harvest.  

These farms also serve as hands-on training centers for farmers who want to adopt organic farming methods. In addition, the farmers who participate in the co-op are provided with fair earnings.  

Khmer Organics was a finalist at the Mekong Agritech Challenge (MATCh) Demo Day. MATCh will continue to support this startup in achieving their growth projection and beyond. MATCh is a program of the Mekong Business Initiative, a private sector development partnership of the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Australia that equips entrepreneurs to scale and thrive.