Agriculture in the Lao PDR
With two-thirds of the rural population in the Lao PDR experiencing, or at risk of experiencing food insecurity, agriculture and food supply is a key focus in the Lao PDR
Agriculture is the biggest employment provider in the Lao PDR, employing approximately three-quarters of the workforce, particularly in rural and regional areas. It is also a main component of the GDP (30.4% in 2008-09) and general economic development.
The sector remains one of the greatest contributor to the Government’s food production and poverty reduction targets. The consolidated domestic agricultural supply amounts to about 102 million USD, and export amounts to about 24.6 million USD.
Similarly, protection of forests and ecosystems remains critical to rural Lao, who rely on forests as a primary source of food and income.
The challenge for the Government of the Lao PDR is to modernize the agricultural sector in a manner that fully meets sustainable practices and that achieves food security and better livelihoods for all Lao people, enabling achievement of the MDGs and exit from LDC status.
Key Achievements during the 6th National Socio Economic Plan 2006-2010
Current Achievements
The past five years have seen significant improvements in agriculture, and production in all agricultural sectors continues to increase with domestic supply currently valued at USD 102 million and export at USD 24.6M USD.
Over the same period average yearly rice production equaled 2.9 million tones – 88% of projected targets and sufficient to satisfy local consumption. The production of sugar, industrial tree plantations (rubber, eucalyptus), corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, and livestock and fisheries also increased significantly.
Future directions
In the coming five years efforts in agriculture and forestry will focus on systematic sectoral development, industrialization and modernization, enhancing food security, promoting commodity production, improving productivity and enhancing end-product quality.
Extension centres in Kumbans (villages) will continue to be a central focal point to disseminate technical information as well as provide training to assist and guide farmers in new agricultural and animal husbandry techniques.
Irrigation systems will be put in place to promote productivity and agricultural support systems will be enhanced to ensure optimal use of capital, an improved tax and regulatory environment and the provision of infrastructure to support better access to markets.
Targets over the coming five years include:
- Increased food production - produce annually rice equivalent to 3.8 million tones, meat at 225,000 tonnes and aquatic products at 150,000 tonnes.
- Commodity production - 100,000 tonnes of high quality rice seeds by 2015; 40,000 tonnes of high quality maize seeds, expand maize production to 150,000 hectares and coffee to more than 553,000 tonnes, produce 120,000 cattle for export (in border areas).
- Forestry - Increase forest coverage to 65% of the total country’s area by 2015, rehabilitate 3.9 million hectares of degraded forest and reforest 200,000 hectares.
- Irrigation- By 2015 the irrigated area in the dry season be increased to 500 thousand hectares including 250 thousand hectares for dry season irrigated rice. Wet season irrigated areas to be expanded to 9.5 hundred thousand hectares.
- Experiment and use technology in agriculture- Improve 216 existing agriculture and forestry extension centres and expand to over 500 extension centres across the country.