Outgrower: Meet Mean Kay

Mean Kay lives in Khnar Po, a rural community in Siem Reap province, far from the city and KJC Farm. In her area, most people rely on vegetable farming or casual labour in cashew, mango, or photo farms, earning around $5 per day with irregular income. Before joining the outgrower project, her husband worked as a labourer while she grew beans with her son and daughter, but low market prices meant the farm rarely generated enough income. Her son finished high school but could not continue to university due to financial constraints and had to find labour work instead. Mean Kay joined the poultry outgrower project in February 2022 and took a US$4,000 loan with training to establish her business. Since then her family’s life has changed significantly – she stopped growing beans and focused on raising chickens, consistently earning a reliable income to cover food, travel, and her daughter’s education. Her family has seen a 37% increase in household income, earning around US$282 per batch. Her daughter is now in Grade 12 at Khnapor High School, and Mean Kay is able to pay for extra lessons and support her studies. She hopes to eventually access a second loan to expand her poultry business, allowing her daughter to attend university, buy a motorbike, save for healthcare, and build a better home within the next five years.