Dry season rice cultivation in Xekong province has declined this year, although prices for the grain remain steady.
Sticky rice costs 5,000 kip per kg and normal rice 8,000 kip a kg, the prices as for the previous five months, according to a report from the provincial Industry and Commerce Department.
This dry season, farmers around the province planted less rice than planned by provincial agricultural authorities, said provincial agriculture section Deputy Head, Mr Bansa Kiewmek.
The provincial authorities were hoping farmers would plant 850 hectares of rice yielding 4.5 tonnes per hectare, but only 400 hectares were planted.
The low figure was mainly due to water shortages, low levels of river basins and streams, and insufficient water for irrigation systems to operate effectively, Mr Bansa said.
Next dry season the provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department will try to increase rice yields in upland areas by using new techniques to ensure sufficient supply for local consumption.
According to the government, each person should have access to at least 350 kg of rice per year, but residents of Xekong province only receive an average of 320 kg each as there is limited land suitable for cultivating rice.
On average people in the province only have enough rice to last for 10 months of the year, so the province must buy stocks from neighbouring provinces or Vientiane to meet requirements, Mr Bansa said.
Some farming families grow coffee and raise livestock to earn extra income to purchase rice for consumption.
“Farmers around the province are now harvesting their dry season rice crops but we can not yet confirm the exact yield figures,” Mr Bansa said.
Families in Dakcheung and Lamam districts in particular face rice shortages because they are in upland areas.
“We also aim to encourage farmers to produce more commercial crops to boost their family's income,” said Mr Bansa. He expects the province will be self-sufficient in terms of rice cultivation within the next year or two.
Mr Bansa said tropical storm Ketsana, which struck the province last year, dealt a heavy blow to the local economy, with many people having to start earning their livelihoods all over again.
Assistance from the government and international organisations only provided short-term relief for those who lost everything to the storm.
“A high priority is repairing all irrigation systems damaged by the storm to ensure there is sufficient water for agricultural areas in both the dry and wet seasons,” said Mr Bansa.
Typhoon Ketsana: the European Commission provides € 7million humanitarian funding for Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
24 September 2009
The European Commission is providing a further €7 million in humanitarian aid to help victims of Typhoon Ketsana and Typhoon Mirinae in South East Asia. The new funds are for humanitarian assistance projects to assist the most affected populations in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. This support is fresh funding in addition to the € 2 million in fast-track funding provided by the Commission within 48 hours of Typhoon Ketsana hitting the central Vietnamese coast and subsequently Laos and Cambodia on 29 September 2009.
For Laos the new funds are being allocated to humanitarian projects worth some € 2.22 million, which will be channelled through partner NGO and UN Agency. Four projects are envisaged for
Food distribution, water sanitation and health in Sekong and Attapeu provinces; and *
Food distribution in Savannaket, Saravan, Sekong and Attapeu provinces.
Tropical storm Ketsana caused severe flooding, resulted in the financial damage of more than 1800 billion Kip (eq. 145 MEUR) and has claimed lives, destroyed houses and inundated rice fields in the southern provinces of Sekong, Attapeu and Saravan.
"This additional funding will mainly respond to the need of further humanitarian assistance, in sectors such as food and non food items, shelter, water and sanitation, livelihood rehabilitation and health care. I hope that this new assistance will help the most affected populations in Laos restore their living condition" said Mr. Henry Parkerd, Chargé d'Affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Laos.
The European Commission regularly provides emergency support to victims of weather-related disasters in the region through non-governmental relief organisations, specialised UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. Laos already received in late October €400,000 in fast-track humanitarian aid to victims of Typhoon Ketsana for food aid and fundamental emergency needs of the affected people in southern provinces.
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-- Edited by khonthakek on Tuesday 20th of April 2010 10:48:23 AM
