Annual report 1998-1999

In the Lao People's Democratic Republic, rice seems to be everywhere: rice fields cover 645,000 hectares, people eat rice two or three times a day, and rice motifs are woven into silk. Even the phrase for eating rice is synonymous with eating food.

Although eight out of every 10 Lao are rice farmers, rice farming is not a lucrative occupation. Farmers' incomes are less than $100 a year, while the national average was $385 in 1996. Rice farming is also risky, with most farmers growing only one crop a year. Because the crop depends on rainfall, too much water or too little water can mean a poor harvest-and hunger. Yields range from 2 to 2.5 tons per hectare, but less than 1 ton is common.

Lao PDR, however, is in the midst of a renaissance in rice production. An ambitious national policy aims to increase production to 2.1 million tons by 2000 from the 1.7 million tons of rice produced in 1997, through a combination of improved yields and increased area under rice cultivation in the rainfed lowland and irrigated environments. Rice production is being discouraged in the fragile uplands to limit further environmental degradation. Thanks to rice research, the country is well on its way to meeting these goals.

"The major challenge is getting smallholder producers to adopt technologies to achieve the yield and production targets," says Lao Minister of Agriculture Siene Saphangthong.

Building and Sustaining Research

In 1990, only six people were in the National Rice Research Program. Now, more than 120 coordinators, scientists, and technicians in all 16 of the country's provinces and Vientiane Municipality are involved in a research network.

The efforts of the Lao-IRRI Research and Training Project, which is helping the country strengthen its rice research capacity and effectiveness, have had a lot to do with these achievements. With financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project has also been building and upgrading infrastructure, including the National Agricultural Research Center and six research stations. "To ensure sustainability, IRRI has been trying very hard to work within the Lao system," says John Schiller, agronomist and team leader.

The project has initially concentrated on developing technologies for improving productivity in the rainfed lowlands, where the majority of smallholder producers are located and which offer the potential for improving food security in an environmentally sound way. "Eighty percent of the research is on-farm, which allows researchers to be more responsive to farmers' needs," says Viengsavanh Manivong, head of the National Rice Research Program and coordinator, Lao-IRRI Project.

Developing Rice Researchers

For many years, Lao PDR had been relatively cut off from the scientific world-primarily because few had English language skills. Recognizing this as a major obstacle, an ongoing program is helping all key scientists learn English.

"In 1990, only a few people could speak English. With Lao-IRRI Project support, most key scientists have learned English and can now participate in international opportunities," says Mr. Manivong. To date, Lao scientists have taken up almost 90 places in IRRI nondegree training courses, several have completed masters degrees, and research leaders regularly contribute to international conferences and workshops. The development of in-country training facilities and training programs has enabled Lao PDR to regularly conduct rice-related training for both agricultural technicians and extension workers.

More Rice, More Food, More Money

A "best mix" technology package of improved varieties, appropriate fertilizer management, and improved agronomic practices has been developed to help lowland rice farmers boost their production. One of the villages in which the technologies were tested for three years was Ban Oupalath in Champassak Province in southern Lao PDR. In 1994, the 111-household village was producing enough rice for only 10 months of the year, and more than half the children weighed less than they should for their ages.

The results were stunning for the farmers using the technology package: yield increased by an average 124 percent and the net value of production jumped 115 percent. Farmers using improved varieties alone gained only 30 percent of the potential yield improvement.

More bountiful harvests mean two things: people eat more rice and sell more rice. Adopter households consumed about 1 ton more rice than farmers using traditional technologies-particularly good news for the children. And farmers' net incomes were nearly double those of farmers using traditional practices ($510 versus $259 per hectare).

By late 1997, nearly all the farmers in Ban Oupalath were using some of the technologies. They learned by observing other farmers and by participating in the lively open planning and review meetings in the village temple.

The next challenge will be getting the word out about the new technologies to the millions of other farmers in Lao PDR.

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