Most Lao farmers know how to grow crops such as vegetables for market but some lack the technical skills to grow quality produce and meet market demand, particularly in off-season crop production.Mr Vathorlau and his wife, Ms Vamitor, remove weeds from a field of young tomatoes.

Northern farmers learn to avoid risks

The government has plans to reforest 500,000 ha of forest by 2020.This will help to improve forest cover in Laos as well as reduce shifting cultivation. To achieve this, it is important to understand how this can be done appropriately without disturbing local livelihoods and the environment.

The Upland Research and Capacity Development Programme, run by the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute with financial support from the Swedish government, is supporting government policy by testing out different agroforestry systems as well as looking at macro-economic feasibility and environmental issues related to industrial tree plantations.

The percentage of Lao farmers with access to information about good farming techniques remains low. This issue was the main focus of a meeting held on Thursday in Vientiane at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The meeting brought together technical staff, government experts, representatives from international organisations and the media to brainstorm how best to provide farmers with easy access to better farming techniques.

Farming families in some of the poorest districts of the northern provinces are improving their living conditions with the support of research in agriculture and forestry through the Upland Research and Capacity Development Programme. The programme is being implemented in eight districts of Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Luang Namtha and Bokeo provinces, said Mr Houmchitsavath Sodarak, Director of the Northern Agriculture and Forestry Research Centre, part of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute.