The document summarizes the activities of the Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service (LURAS) project from 2015-2016. It discusses LURAS supporting the development of Farmer Organizations at the national level through activities like creating a database of FOs and training government staff. It also discusses support for specific FOs in 2 provinces, including groups focused on organic farming, tea/coffee production, and more. Additionally, it outlines the findings of the First National Report on FOs completed by the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives with LURAS support, including statistics on the number and types of FOs existing across the country.

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Introduction
• The Lao Upland Rural Advisory Service (LURAS) started in Jan 2015.
Funded by SDC. Implemented by Helvetas and SNV in collaboration
with Dept of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC).
• Central to the design of the project is support for the development
of Farmer Organisations (FOs) as service providers for their
members and communities
• At the national level, the project focuses on: a) supporting the Lao
Farmer Network (LFN), and b) capacity building for DAEC to perform
it’s mandate with respect to FOs
• In 2 provinces – Oudomxay and Xieng Khouang – the project is
working with a number of farmer groups to improve two types of
‘service’: farmer-to-farmer learning (F2F) and market engagement.

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National level activities, 2015-16
• With DAEC
o FO data base and First National Report on FOs – more details later
o Training in business planning/management for Govt staff and LFN
o Meeting of FOCUS (learning alliance of projects supporting FOs)
o DAEC guidelines for sustainable FO capacity-building
o Workshop to discuss options for registering FOs
• With LFN
o Regular support for Secretariat
o Establish management structure / financial procedures
o Strategy development workshops with each member FO
o Piloting a market outlet run by LFN
o Raising awareness of farmers debt problems

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Selected FOs operating in the project area
Oudomxay
o Houay Oun (and other) organic veg groups in Xay * #
o Tea production groups in Beng and Pakbeng *
o Nampheng bitter bamboo group * #
o Paknamthong pig production group in Namo (*LEAP)
o Bee keepers association, province wide
Xieng Khouang
o Organic Farmers Assoc.n, in Pek District * #
o Keoset Cluster coffee network *
o KKN rice seed producer group *
o Phousan tea producers *
o Khoun FASAP *#
o Ban Hoi vegetable group
* = some support from LURAS
# = member of LFN

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First National Report on Farmer Organisations
• By September 2016, DAEC had
completed a nationwide survey
and report of FOs in Laos with
the support of LURAS
• The report consists of 4 parts:
o Institutional framework
o Description of Lao Farmer
Network
o Data on FOs across the country
o Summary of support for FO
capacity development

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1st National Report: Institutional Framework for FOs
• The report includes a summary of
policies relating to FOs, including:
o NSEDP 2016-2020: focus on small
holder farmers
o ADS: 2025: importance of producers’
groups and FOs
o PM Decrees on Associations (2009) and
Cooperatives (2010): describes
procedures for official registrations
o MAF Agreements on Production
Groups and Agricultural Cooperatives
(2014): explains the logic of starting
from groups towards cooperatives

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1st National Report: Lao Farmer Network
• The report describes how LFN was
established, including details of Farmer
Conferences held in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
• Also included is a description of the
current status of the Network:
o Objectives: include provision of credit,
market access, information, sharing
resources, support and exchanges
o Membership: 16 FOs in 9 provinces
representing more than 2,650 farmers
(44% women)
o Structure: General Assembly, Management
Committee, Advisory Committee,
Secretariat

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1st National Report: Data on FOs across the country
• A survey was carried out by PAFOs in 15 provinces (3 remaining
provinces will be covered in 2017)
• There were issues with data quality, but the survey has provided a
useful baseline. Key findings are:
o In total, 2031 FOs were identified, of
which 1994 (98%) can be considered
informal.
o The size of most FOs is in the range of 10-
30 members.
o Only 17% of members are women.
o 4 provinces account for 50% of members:
Xayabury, Xiengkhouang, Phongsaly and
Champasack
o Cattle groups are the most common,
accounting for 441 organisations with
6,949 members.

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1st National Report: Support for FO Development
• This section examines how various organisations – both Government and
non-government - are supporting the development of FOs.
• FOs are usually classified by function and/or legal status. Common
functions are related to the market orientation of most new FOs.
• DAEC would also like to classify
groups by ownership. A high level of
ownership means a group can be
self-reliant. A low level means they
are dependent.
• Most supporting organisations aim
to promote self-reliance, and
thereby ensure FOs become
sustainable.
• The strengths and weaknesses of
different types of supporting
organisations are also described.

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What we are learning
General Observations
• Most FOs are village-based producer groups, with limited
functions beyond collecting and selling a single commodity.
• The creation of these groups by Govt., private sector and
development projects has resulted in high levels of
dependency, raising questions about sustainability.
• The path to self-reliance is further undermined by
registration requirements that are confusing and onerous,
and which give a high level of control to Govt agencies.
• Another feature of weak groups is a lack of transparency
and accountability. Group leaders are often unelected and
they fail to consult members before making decisions.
Solidarity among members is often weak.

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What we are learning
Specific to LURAS
• The weak capacity of FOs for preparing proposals and
managing grants is a constraint to the demand-driven
approach that LURAS has tried to apply.
• The priority needs of small farmers are credit, inputs and
infrastructure, and this is largely outside the scope of the
project, which is focussing on learning and facilitation.
• The LURAS Mid Term Review concluded that the project
should focus on capacity-building at the grassroots more
than at the national level
• The MTR also advised that support for informal networking
should precede any efforts to create new formal structures.

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