Outgrower: Meet Moung Phon

Ms. Muong Phon, 44, lives with her husband, her 16-year-old daughter, and her daughter’s young family in Bakong District, a rural community where most households rely on rice farming. Before joining the outgrower program, she worked as a local chef during weddings and celebrations, earning irregular income of US$100–150 per month and facing periods with no work. A US$2,000 loan and training enabled her to start her outgrower business in April 2024 and since then, she has increased her household income by 24%, earning around US$215 per chicken cycle. This additional income is being used as a financial buffer for her family and future needs. Muong Phon plans to expand her poultry business by adding a second shed, aiming to secure a safe, stable income as she and her husband get older.