Dry season rice production slows in country's north

Dry season rice production slows in country's north

This dry season has brought a dramatic drop in rice planting as farmers in northern provinces battle icy temperatures and shift their attention to growing other commercial crops.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry encouraged farmers across Laos to plant 126,000 hectares of rice this dry season and, with the seasons-end in April, a mere 40 percent of this target has been planted, according to officials.

Last year, the department urged farmers to grow 140,000 hectares of rice but they planted only 96,200 hectares or 60 percent of the goal.

The department believes the trend is a result of the low price of rice and insufficient water supply from irrigation systems in northern farming areas. These challenges are causing many farmers to grow different crops for their income after they harvested their wet season rice.

The department reported farmers in the central and southern provinces are still producing dry season rice crops because they have more fertile growing areas with better channel irrigation supply.

Xieng Khuang province has eight districts but only farmers in Thathom district could produce rice during this season's cooler weather, provincial agriculture authority Ms Khamphao Sayachith told Vientiane Times yesterday.

Ms Khamphao said temperatures in some areas of the province dropped to 0 degrees Celsius, which prevented farmers from planting their rice crops.

Most farmers in Xieng Khuang have used their rice cultivation areas to grow commercial crops such as watermelon, bean, eggplant, tomato, chilli and other vegetables for sale, she said.

Last dry season, the provincial agriculture sector encouraged farmers to plant 41 hectares of rice; authorities expect that target to fall short this season.

In some areas of Huaphan province, young rice seedlings have been damaged by the cool weather and fog, said provincial agriculture section Deputy Head, Mr Mayphieng Madachit.

Huaphan farmers have been forced to cover their rice seedlings with material to protect their crops, he explained.

Last dry season, Huaphan's provincial agriculture authorities encouraged farmers to grow 2,000 hectares of rice but they planted only 1,280 hectares.

“This year, we planned to encourage farmers to grow 1,750 hectares but we believe they won't reach this as they have currently completed planting only about 40 percent of this,” Mr Mayphieng said.

The districts which have successfully planted dry season rice crops are Aed, Xiengkhor and Xopbao districts.

Large numbers of farmers in Bokeo and Oudomxay provinces are growing commercial crops such as banana, melon, pumpkin and sweet corn to sell after generating sufficient rice stockpiles from the wet season to last all year.

vientiane times