Budget: From 01/2005 to 12/2007 - CHF4’050’000 (approx. US$3,240,000)

Cumulative Budget: From 09/2001 to 12/2007 - CHF7,300,000 (approx. US$5,840,000)

Line Agency: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) – Lao PDR

Implementing Agencies:

National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES), Technical Assistance Provider Helvetas, Zurich – Switzerland

Project Location:

Nationwide (18 provinces) – Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

Background:

The Government of the Lao PDR is committed to the establishment of a national extension systemthat is both pro-poor and demand-driven. The leading government agency responsible for the development and implementation of extension activities in the Lao PDR is the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES), a Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Over the past ten years, various projects have supported NAFES in the development of the Lao Extension Approach, which now consists of two sub-systems: The Village Extension System and The Government Extension Service.

The Village Extension System (VES) is jointly managed by villagers and village authorities. Activities are facilitated by Village Extension Workers (VEWs) who are appointed and compensated by the community, while receiving technical support through the Government Service. The Government Extension Service consists of three strata: the National Agricultural and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES), the Provincial Agricultural and Forestry Extension Centre (PAFEC) and the District Agricultural and Forestry Extension Office (DAFO). Within NAFES, Central Extension and Training Development Unit (CETDU) is the unit leading the development and implementation of the Lao Extension Approach.

Phase I of the Laos Extension for Agriculture Project (LEAP) started in November 2001 and ended in December 2004. During this period the Lao Extension Approach was tested in three provinces.

Phase II, starting in January 2005, involves capacity-building and networking that will result in the expansion of the approach to the entire country (18 provinces).

Overall Goal:

Support the development of a decentralised, participatory, pluralistic and sustainable agricultural extension system that reaches male and female farmers equally.

Current Objectives:

• Assist MAF and NAFES in developing a sustainable national agricultural extension strategy, and ensuring the support of key stakeholders;
• Assist an institutional strengthening process of NAFES at all levels, enabling it to effectively support the VES;
• Support NAFES and CETDU in developing a sustainable cascade training system for effective, participatory, gender-balanced extension services; 
• Support NAFES and CETDU in adjusting and refining the extension approaches, methods and contents while implementing them in pilot villages.

Approaches:

The project has two components:

•  Capacity-building at field level: In each new province there will be training for selected provincial and district staff, and start-up activities in 10 villages.
• Capacity-building at national level: The project will support the establishment of a National Extension Alliance, which will promote information-sharing and practical cooperation among various organisations involved in extension.

Across both components, LEAP will support the efforts of the Government to increase the benefits of extension for women and the poor.

Result Achieved and Expected:

The Lao Extension Approach’ developed and tested during Phase I has been officially adopted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2005, scaling up to 5 new provinces began. A number of other projects has started to implement the principles and procedures of the Lao Extension Approach.
Capacity building in the remaining 10 provinces will be carried out in 2006 and 2007.

Highlights:

By mid 2005, LEAP had supported extension activities in more than 150 villages involving more than 2,000 households. On average, participating farmers increased rice production by 46%, pig production by 143% and chicken production by 262%. These successes have been achieved thanks to the knowledge gained through training, not because of free inputs or financial incentives provided to farmers. Farmers have appointed their own ‘Village Extension Workers’ who are sharing knowledge and experience among villages.

Information and Publications:

Project Document is available upon request. Website: www.LaoEx.org

Contact:

Chief Technical Adviser LEAP
P.O. Box 9159, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Tel.: +856-21 732 253
Fax: +856-21 732 162
E-mail: leap@laoex.org