Rice-based Systems Research: Regional Technical Workshop June 2012 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

2. Contents of the Presentation
I. General background of Lao PDR
II. Current Land Use Pattern
III. Contribution of Agriculture in National
Economy
IV. Enabling environment for agriculture
V. Major Problems for agriculture
development
VI. Current Cropping Pattern
VII. Sustainable NRM & Productivity
Enhancement project
VIII. Opportunity for Linkages of Development
Projects with Research Projects
IX. Some photo of project activities

3. I. Lao PDR General
Background
 Land linked country
surrounded by 5
countries (Vietnam, China,
Myanmar, Thailand &
Cambodia)
 Population 6.65
Million
 49 Ethnic Groups
 2.1% annual
population growth
rate
 Population Density:
24 people/square KM

4. I. Lao PDR General Background
•Forest cover was 41%
•Every 10 years Forest cover
change assessment (1982, 1992,
2002, 2010)
•Protection Forest 5.2 Mil Ha.
• Conservation Forest 2.7 Mil Ha.
• Production Forest 3.1 Mil Ha.

5. II. Current Land Use Pattern
• Total land area: 23.68 Million ha.
• Total forest land area: 9.7 million
ha. (41% of total area of country)
Dense Forest 5.5 Million Ha. (out
of which 3.31 Ha, under 21
National conservation forest)
Degraded Forest 4.2 Million Ha.

6. II. Current Land Use Pattern
• Total Agriculture area: 1.8 Million ha.
(Only 7.6% of total area of country)
• Total Plantation Area 0.5 Million Ha.
• Miscellaneous Land: 4.78 Million Ha.

7. II. Current Land Use Pattern
 59% farmers are engaged in subsistence agriculture.
 6% of farmers have good marketable surplus production.
 35% sell some of their agriculture production.
 Top 5 crops are:
2%
10% Rice
4%
3% Coffee
7% Vegetables
Maize
5% 65%
Legumes
Starchy root &
4%
cassava
Peanut
Others crops

8. Agriculture Production High Mountain 10 %
System of Lao PDR
High slope 20%
Plateau 15 %
Slope 30%
Flat land 25%

9. III. Contribution of Agriculture in National Economy
 Agricultural contributing 35% of the GDP.
 79.7% population is engaged in farming
 93% of the area devoted to rice production.
 8% farmers are engaged in aquaculture
 Livestock:
◦ 31% farmers have cattle,
◦ 48% have water buffaloes,
◦ 49% have pigs, and
◦ 73% farmers raise poultries.

10. IV. Enabling environment for agriculture
1. Availability of land for Agriculture
2. Good climatic conditions
3. Infrastructure development &
Connectivity to major ports
4. Plenty of Rainfall, rainy months
from April to October

11. IV. Enabling environment for
agriculture
 Long lasting rainy season average rainfall more than 2,000
MM
◦ Dry Season: November to Mid April
◦ Wet Season: Mid April to October
Rainfall Pattern in Lao PDR

12. IV. Enabling environment for
agriculture
 Good
temperature
can enable
round the year
cultivation
 Fertile soils
Rainfall Pattern in Southern Lao PDR

13. IV. Enabling environment
for agriculture Lot of source of water
including perennial
streams, rivers, ground
water enabling to
establish irrigation system

14. IV. Enabling environment- Good Infrastructure development

15. IV. Enabling environment Good Infrastructure development
Mawlamyin

16. V. Major Problems for agriculture development
› Insufficient paddy land for
farmers;
› Presence of un-exploded
ordnance (UXO);
› Poor soil fertility management
› Shifting cultivation;
› Lack of equipments and
machinery and agro-inputs;
› Lack of availability of
improved seeds of crops;
› Very less area under irrigation;
› Poor Technical knowledge of
farmers;

17. V. Major Problems for
agriculture development
 Subsistence farming;
 Extreme poverty in rural farming community;
◦ Long hungry season for many families
◦ Natural Disaster like floods and droughts

18. VI. Current Cropping Pattern
 Upland Area:
◦ Shifting cultivation cycle 4-5 years
◦ Main crop rainfed upland aerobic rice
◦ Some farmers started growing Corn
◦ Negligible cultivation of legumenous crops
◦ Farmers are not aware of crop rotation

19. VI. Current Cropping Pattern
 Low Land Area:
◦ Paddy rice cultivation mainly rainfed paddy
rice;
◦ Most of the rice fields are fellow in dry
season;
◦ Negligible cultivation of legume crops in dry
season;
◦ Farmers are not aware of crop rotation;
◦ Farmers are not aware of the soil fertility
management.

20. SNRMPE Project
Duration: 6 years
From: Jan 2010-Dec 2015

21. Sustainable Natural Resource Management &
Productivity Enhancement project
 Project is covering 42 districts.
 Targeting 19 poor and very poor districts as
identified in the NGPES for the Poverty
Reduction Subprojects, all 42 districts for the
subprojects of Commercialization of
Agricultural and NRM subprojects.
 Total of 1,895 villages (out of total 2,261) and
230,000 households
 Project website: http://www.snrmpep.gov.la
 GIS website http://gis.snrmpep.gov.la/

23. Grant 0144-LAO (SF)
US$ 20 Million or 53.4%
Grant 8025-LA
US$ 15 Million or 40.0%,
Counterpart Funding
US$ 1.775 Million or 4.7%
Special Grant Fund (TA-JSF) TA 7241-LAO
US$ Million or 1.9 %.
 Total US$ 37.475 Million

24. Project Components & Subcomponents
A. Capacity Building in Sector
Management:
a) Land Use-Suitability Planning
b) Support for Producer Groups
c) Policy Development
B. Subproject Investments
a. Commercialization Initiatives
b. Poverty Reduction Initiatives
c. Natural Resource Management
Initiatives
C. Implementation Management

25. Land Use Suitability Planning
 GIS Resource Mapping Center established at
NAFRI and in 5 provinces.
 LUP units established in 5 provinces and all
are equipped with necessary equipment.
 LUP in 71 subproject area in 5 provinces,
 Equipped the government agencies for the
appraisal of land concession to take
appropriate decision.
 Land allocation and issue of permanent land
certificate to target farmers

26. Main features of subprojects
 Based on genuine stakeholder demand;
 Have sound
technical, commercial, social, and
environmental prospects;
 Potential impact on poverty reduction by
targeting poor farmers;
 Based on a demonstrated technology;
 Financially and institutionally sustainable;
 Consistent with national agricultural
development strategies;
 Start with start-up activities we have prepared
total 71 subproject amounting US$ 21.6
million.
 Feasibility studies for all subprojects
completed.

27. Classification of subprojects by
category
 Commercialization: 33
subprojects, US$ 10.13 Million
 Poverty Reduction: 30
subprojects, US$ 9.35 Million
 NRM: 8 subprojects, US$ 2.14 Million

28. Groups of Subprojects
 Subprojects are grouped in 9 types:
◦ 6 Subprojects: Promotion of service
providers for small livestock raising.
◦ 5 Subprojects: Establishment of
Sustainable Livestock Health Management
System.
◦ 12 Subprojects: Integrated Livestock
based mixed farming system.
◦ 22 Subprojects: Integrated Rice Based
Farming System.
◦ 7 Subprojects: Sustainable upland

29. Groups of Subprojects
◦ 4 Subprojects: Promotion of Organic
Coffee Value Chain.
◦ 6 Subprojects: Natural Resource
Management.
◦ 5 Subprojects: Organic Vegetable
cultivation and value chain
development.
◦ 3 Subprojects: Other Miscellaneous.

30. Targeting under different
Category of Subprojects
 Commercialization:
◦ 133 Village clusters; 724 villages & 74,771
Households
 Poverty Reduction:
◦ 195 Village clusters; 1,088 villages &
148,996 Households
 NRM: 8 subprojects, US$ 2.14 Million
◦ 14 Village clusters; 83 villages & 6,338
Households

31. Example: Small Livestock Development with Value
Chain Approach Sub
Pigeon pea and
Maize cultivation:
Quality raw REVOLVING FUND
material for feed SUPPORT THROUGH
factories VDC Dev. of
Meat
I
Processing - N
Dev of Feed Centers
Farmers to be M -
N
T
Factories - E
(PPP) organized as A - L
A
R
Producer Groups T
- O N
R - C
I
A
O
Dev of
Demonstration Units K - A
N
T
at village level - L I
Breeding E -
A
O
Centers & L
T - N
hatcheries - A
Exposure visits L
Integrated Health
and Training
Management Support
Programmes

32. Marketing Strategy
To brand it as unique product with competitive advantage for
domestic as well as international markets.
Organic Product Halal method of
(No use of chemicals or Processing
pesticides in the entire (To access highly lucrative
process) markets in neighboring
Countries)
Final Product
Native Breeds Fair Trade Product
(Produced by rural poor
(High in taste and
households for poverty
uniqueness in availability)
reduction)

33. Example for rice based
farming system
 Farmers Group Development;
 Capacity Building of Technical Staff and Production
Groups;
 Land Use Planning & Issue of Permanent Land Certificate
 Linking the farmers groups with rice miller (Apply lessons
of SNV, HELVETAS, EMRIP);
 Rice Seed Production Programme;
 Soil Fertility Improvement Programme using green
manure, compost;
 Introduction of crop rotation;
 Demonstration & Productivity Enhancement;
 Support for Irrigation System;
 Farm Mechanization:
 Up scaling of production system;
 MIS & Fare Trade.

34. Partners for Technical Cooperation
 AllDepartments of MAF including
NAFRI, NAFES, DoA, DOF, DoI, DoL
and NLMA, MoNRE, MPI, MOF
 Research Projects & International
Institutions:
IRRI, FAO, AIT, CIET, KfW, SNV, ACIAR,
ICRISAT, ILRI, NACA
 NGOs: PROCASUR, VFI, AGPC, CUSO
VSO
 Private Sectors: SWIFT Co., Ltd. Green

35. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 A. Linkages for Production Research
in upland areas:
◦ Easy technique for the stabilization of
the shifting cultivation by developing
technical interventions to improve the
profitability of low-input household
farming systems as an alternative to
shifting cultivation;
 e.g. Intercropping of Pigeon pea with upland rice
(impact on soil fertility, root knot nematode, yield
etc.)

36. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 A. Linkages for Production Research in upland
areas:
◦ Some research on improving the pigeonpea
varieties like introduction of short term high
yielding varieties of pigeonpea. SNRMPEP
introduced 10 ton seeds of 2 pigeonpea varieties from
Myanmar. White Bold and Linkhe which mature in 130
days and can produce 2 ton grains per ha while existing
Lao pigeonpea takes 280 days to ripe and can produce
only 0.5 ton grains per ha.
◦ Need research for the sole cultivation of pigeonpea
and other legumes in upland area in 2nd year after
rice.
◦ Research on other legume crops like red
bean, Mung bean, rice bean and other bean to
improve the soil fertility and generate more
income;

37. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 A. Linkages for Production Research in
upland areas:
◦ Zero tillage farming system
◦ Weed management in upland farming system
◦ High value area specific upland crops (like
coffee, green cardamom, condiments and
spices, herbal medicinal plants)
◦ Low cost water harvesting and water
management technologies for the upland;
◦ Livestock based farming system;
◦ Planting of rainfed upland dry season crops in
upland areas like Chickpea after upland rice as
relay cropping.

38. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 B. Linkages for Production Research in lowland
areas:
◦ Research trials on Integrated Rice-Livestock Based
farming System;
◦ Some trials for use of both fodder and food crop residue
for livestock raising and livestock residue for compost, bio
fertilizer development and soil fertility and soil structure
improvement. 20% area under fodder crops 80% under
food crops

39. Post harvest management of fodder & Conservation of green
fodder for dry season tiny bag silage making

40. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 B. Linkages for Production Research
in lowland areas:
◦ Research trials on use of legume as
crop rotation in dry season under
irrigated areas.
◦ Research trials use of green mannuring
(residue of legume crops after picking
of pods, planting of susbennia and
crotolaria for green mannuring)

41. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 B. Linkages for
Production
Research in
lowland areas:
◦ Research trials on
development of
intercropping
system in Lao
condition. (Corn-
Pigeonpea or other
pulses based
intercropping)

42. VIII. Opportunities for linkages with Research
Projects with development projects
 B. Linkages for Production Research
in lowland areas:
◦ Research trials on development of
relay cropping system in Lao condition.
(Myanmar is producing the dry land Pigeonpea in
un-irrigated area after harvest of rice. Pigeonpea
has deep root system and doesn’t require irrigation
in dry season. Myanmar export Pigeonpea worth
US$ 500 million per year to India)

43. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 B. Linkages for Production in low
land areas
◦ Research to develop some insect
resistant and wilt resistant
genotype for rice & legumes
◦ Drought-tolerance and drought
avoidance , flood tolerant varieties;
◦ Research on short-duration pulse
crops varieties that have enabled
an expansion of the crop into
tropical latitudes in dry season for
planting just after harvest of rice;

44. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 B. Linkages for Production in low
land areas
◦ Increase Organic Matter in soil by
green manuring, use of compost etc.
Susbenia Sunhemp

45. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 C. Farm Mechanization
◦ Lao Farmers still use traditional system for
land preparation and most of the farmers
use spade, buffaloes for the land
preparation.
◦ There is need to do some research and
trials for the partial farm mechanization

46. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 D. Linkages for Processing &
Marketing
◦ Promotion of Private Sector for the
hygienic processing, packaging and
marketing.
◦ Establish linkages for promotion of PPP
◦ Coordination for the adoption and
improvement of Value chain approach-
Linking with general and super markets
◦ Organic approach-Organic works well in
Lao PDR. There is need to conduct more
scientific research.

47. Turmeric
Curcuma longa Linn.
Part to be used : Root
Target Pest

48. Neem
Azadirachta indica
Part to be used: Seed, Bark
Pesticide Property: Medium
Target Pests:

49. Cymbopogon nardus
Part to be used: Roots, Stem, Leaves (methyl
eugenol)
Pesticide value: High
Target Pests:

50. Nerium indicum
Part to be used: Flowers, Leaves and
fruits
Pesticide Value: High
Target Pests:

51. Tinospora rumphii
Part to be used: Stem
Pesticide Value: High
Target Pests:

52. Acorus calamus L.
Part to be used: Branches
Pesticide Value: High
Target Pests:

53. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 E. Knowledge Sharing &
Networking
◦ Regional Networking with research &
development projects/institutions to
share best practices
◦ Technical cooperation for the preparation
of Technical Literatures of best practices
for Technical Staff & Farmers.
◦ Capacity Building for technical staff and
producer farmers
◦ Large scale adoption of best applied
research practices by IFAD funded
projects (Convert knowledge in
Products).

54. VIII. Opportunities for linkages
 E. Policy & Regulations
◦ Support for the seed systems and policy
research on grain legumes and cereals;
◦ Support the government to update/establish
Quality control standard and regulation of
agricultural products;
◦ Study for the trans-boundary trade of crops-
import-export regulations, sanitary & other
requirements of different countries and
dissemination of these information to
producers, processors and traders

56. Mobile Soil Analysis Kits 49
Kits
3 in 1 Protractor
/Angle Finder/Level
Measuring Tool
Analyser for N, P, K, Soil
pH in the soil, Light Salinity
Meter Seed Moisture Meter Soil Augers
and Moisture

57. Rapid composting technology can make compost within 15 days
57

58. Preparation of Bio-Pesticides for organic vegetable
cultivation
58

59. Direct Seeded rice cultivation in Khong
District in Dry season
59

60. Support for Rice Seed
Production
Mobile seed Graders

61. Duck farming in Phou Sava Irrigation Area Start-up activity in Savanakhet Province
61

62. Integrated crop production and
cattle raising
62

63. Chicken, pigs and caged fish farming as a Startup Activity in Attapeu Province
63

64. Over handing Vetenary Tools to Livestock Section for Vaccination Capaign in Sekong
64

65. Bong Persea kurzii Plantation in upland

66. Coffee Plantation in
Salavanh, Sekong, Champasak Provinces

67. Cashew Plantation in Champasak PN-1
Variety of Vietnam 500 ha.

68. THANKS TO ALL