Budget:  From 07/2003 to 12/2007 - CHF3,845,000 (approx. US$3,000,000)

Cumulative Budget: From 08/1990 to 12/2007 - CHF 24,511,000 (approx.US$15,361,000)

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

Partners:

National Rice Research Programme (NRRP)/National Agriculture and Forestry Research
Institute (NAFRI)

Implementing Agency:

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos – the Philippines

Project Location:

Vientiane and Luang Prabang – Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)

Background:

Although 85% of the Lao population are subsistence rice farmers, until 1990, the country’s domestic production could meet only about half of its demand. In 1987, the Government of Lao PDR requested the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to help to address its rice production problems. In 1989, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) granted support to the Lao-IRRI project. This project was launched in August 1990 to assist the Lao government and people to become self-sufficient in rice production. Rice is still produced in a traditional way, with virtually no fertilisers and chemicals as these are beyond the farmers’ means. Practically all varieties of rice produced and consumed in Lao PDR are glutinous.

Overall Goal:

Farmers in Lao PDR improve their livelihoods by equitably benefiting from the National Rice Research Programme’s capacity to carry out relevant rice research.

Current Objectives:

• Ensure that the National Rice Research Programme (NRRP) has adequate capacities and strategic tools to plan, implement and monitor the rice research programme, and to disseminate the results effectively; 
• Improve the livelihoods of the farmers in lowland areas through the rice research and development activities conducted by the NRRP/NAFRI;
• Design and test strategies for improved livelihoods through rice-based farming systems research and development in the uplands and produce initial positive results.

Approaches:

The project has a broad mandate to support the development of new rice technologies by conducting relevant research and by enhancing the skills of national scientists to undertake such activities. The research and training components are seen to be complementary, and are considered essential for a sustainable development of the sector and productivity growth.

Results Achieved and Expected:

The success of the project has been the generation of applied and appropriate technologies for rice farmers in Lao PDR and the resulting increase in domestic production. Lao PDR is now self-sufficient in rice, resulting in significant savings of scarce foreign currencies. Farmers in lowland areas now grow improved rice varieties on 70% of the area under lowland rice production and show some US$ 60 additional income per annum over non-adopters. The country has a complete infrastructure of rice
research stations. Some 140 researchers have been trained, 80% of them now work full-time in rice research and production. Eighteen new rice varieties have been released. Some 15,800 samples of indigenous rice (representing approx. 3,000 varieties) have been collected and classified through the SDC-supported biodiversity sister project and a national germplasm bank has been established. International collaborative research programmes have been launched with Australia, the United States, Japan, and various international agencies. A set of agronomic extension messages for rice production has been created and disseminated.

As a result of the project, the NRRP has strategic planning tools and stronger management capacity and effective mechanisms linking NRRP to extension services. Results from research are widely vailable to stakeholders.

Lowland R&D is managed and implemented by NRRP relying on its own capacities and with IRRI coaching/backstopping rather than under its direct guidance. NRRP produce research outputs using on-farm research sites including those from the poorest villages. Stronger linkages are being forged with extension to ensure that farmers and extension workers benefit from improved technologies and integrated farming practices. Appropriate rice R&D strategies are being developed for the diverse upland farming conditions. Studies on the socio-economic components are helping to better
identify needs and farming interventions. Upland rice research conducted by NRRP contribute to and is fully coordinated with other initiatives on upland agriculture and forestry research and extension.

Highlights:

Rice self-sufficiency has been achieved after 10 years (in 2006) with the production doubling from 1 million to 2.1 million tonnes per annum. In 2004, rough rice production was 2.53 million tonnes. A functioning NRRP is in place and capable of delivering the results needed by farmers.

Information and Publications: website: www.irri.org

Contact:

IRRI Representative and Coordinator for the Greater Mekong Subregion
P.O. Box 3079,
Tel: +856-21 213 701
Fax: +856-21 213 700
E-mail: g.jahn@cgiar.org
Director, National Rice Research Program
P.O. Box 4195, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Tel./Fax: +856-21 770 092
E-mail: kouang@laotel.com