Vientiane farmers beef up cattle rearing skills
Vientiane farmers beef up cattle rearing skills
The Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Department is encouraging farmers to rear more cattle, to provide meat for the domestic market and for export.
Cattle farmers and veterinarians from target districts in Vientiane, especially Pakngum and Sangthong, are gathering at the department to learn about cattle breeding, feed processing, growing grass for cattle, and the vet services provided by Lao staff and foreign experts.
The training will run for six days from January 28-30 and February 3-5, and aims to teach cattle farmers and veterinarians in Vientiane new skills. The training will emphasise modern farming methods, with a focus on rearing cattle on a commercial basis.
The cattle breeding promotion project is a priority for Vientiane. The Mayor of Vientiane has asked the Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Department to carry out the project in collaboration with other sectors, mainly the Industry and Commerce and Finance departments and the target districts.
The aim of the project is to encourage farmers in Vientiane to rear more cattle for meat consumption and cattle export, the department's Director General, Assoc. Prof. Dr Linkham Douangsavanh, said at the opening ceremony of the training session.
The project focuses on five target districts, Pakngum, Santhong, Xaythany, Naxaithong and Hadxaifong, and the department selected more than 20 cattle farms in these districts to participate in the project.
The farms were selected because they are kept in good condition and it is hoped they will become models in cattle breeding and expand their herds.
The department plans to involve more farms if the project is successful, Dr Linkham said.
There have been previous training sessions under the project, including study tours in neighbouring countries, especially Vietnam, so that farmers can gain more experience.
With Laos now a part of the Asean Community, it is necessary to improve cattle farming so that Lao farmers can compete within the region.
Vietnam is a major market for Laos and if Lao farmers cannot produce cattle that are up to standard, the country will be at a disadvantage in terms of regional trade, Dr Linkham said.
Vientiane farmers are currently producing only 60 percent of the meat required to meet the capital's needs, but Dr Linkham was confident that the project would help to increase the number of cattle in Vientiane and supply sufficient meat in the future.
