IRRC: Lao PDR 2011

Rice Situation
Rice accounts for about 80% of the total 5 million hectares of cultivated land in Laos. About 400,000 ha are planted to lowland rice. Although Laos is self-sufficient in rice, some regional areas experience an insufficient rice supply. Among the major constraints to rice production are insufficient water supply, lack of capital, low farm-gate price of rice, high cost of fertilizers, insufficient knowledge of modern rice technologies, and high interest rate on loans.

Current Activities
On-farm trials on the use of integrated water-saving technologies including safe alternate wetting and drying, aerobic rice, and supplementary irrigation to secure the wet-season rice crop and improve the success of shortduration, post-rice crops Partnership with the Consortium for Unfavorable Rice Environments (CURE) and World Vision to address rice production concerns in flood-prone areas in Savannakhet and Khammouan provinces Post harvest technologiesespecially drying and hermetic storage of rice Assistance with capacity building

Linkages to national initiatives and with other projects (and donors) 1. Linked with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research-funded project, Developing improved farming and marketing systems in rainfed regions of southern Lao PDR (began in 2010) 2. World Bank-funded Rice Productivity Improvement Project: Advise on postharvest equipment for seed processing at government seed stations and for farmer seed producers 3. Helvetas-funded ProRice Organic Rice Project and Helvetas-funded Enhancing Milled Rice Production in Lao PDR Project. 4. ADB smallholder development Key IRRI Scientists
Rubenito Lampayan (water management) Martin Gummert (postproduction)

Key Partner Agencies

Dr. Bounthong Bouahom, Director General, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute is on the IRRC Steering Committee. Government Institutions National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES) National Rice Research Program (NRRP) of NAFRI Phone Ngam Rice Research Station, Champassak Provincial and District Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO and DAFO) in Savannakhet and Champassak provinces Horticultural Research Center (national IPM program) Thasano Rice Research Center, Savannahket Civil Society Organizations World Vision Helvetas Private Sector Companies Outhai Taimany, Manufacturer of dryers and agricultural equipment, Vientiane

Outcomes and Impacts Outcomes from previous research on postproduction in Lao PDR have been scaled out as part of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) smallholder development project.

For more information Contact person: Trina Leah Mendoza, Senior Communication Specialist Email: t.mendoza@cgiar.org Web site: www.irri.org/irrc

Produced by the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium Coordination Unit