Viengsavanh

Phimphachanhvongsod,

Tassilo Tiemann

Developing improved farming and marketing systems in rainfed regions of southern Lao PDR:

Activities & results, Livestock and Forages Component 2010

1. Identify potential livestock feeding and

management options, and adapt and evaluate

these with farmers at key sites.

2. Identify productive forage species adapted to the

specific lowland conditions of southern Laos.

3. Feed information back to other components and

look for integration possibilities.

• Identifying PAFO and DAFO focus areas and

villages apt for interventions

• Introduce farmers with potential for livestock

system improvements to the concept of forage

planting

• Improve livestock production systems and link to

markets

• Look for improved integration possibilities of the system

• Germplasm evaluation and seed multiplication of

potentially apt forage species

• Assess post-rice forage crop viability

Farmer selection happened according to :

• Overall poverty

• Importance of livestock to farmers

• Market opportunities for livestock and livestock

products

• Interest and capacity of farmers to participate

• Accessibility of the site throughout the year

• We are working currently in 7 districts with more

than 60 farmers

• Initial weather related drawbacks led to a slow

start

• All farmers have now managed to establish

plots, the required systems change is only

startingSavannakh

et

Phone Ya Nang, Nakheilex, Nadeun, Kokyai, Lathor

cluster, Gaeng

Luang, Labengkhok, Thathe, Khamsaee, Naphorkham

Champasa

k

Donjod, Veng

Tao, Mai, NoneKhoun, Sackmaoug, NonYang, PakXan

g, NaMakNgok, Moung, NoneDengTai, NoneYang, Pak

Xang, NongBourNgo

• The adoption of forages requires a change in

thinking and management

• Livestock = Money = Security

• Cattle and forage have to be seen as a unit

• Planning and managing feed and feeding

• Cattle has to be taken care of

much more

• Promising species for ruminant production have

been identified despite the demanding environm.

conditions

• Post harvest upland rice systems with forages

seem to be in theory feasible, in practice they

are constrained

• For lowland rice systems no option could be

identified yet, soil chemistry/aeration might be

limiting

Challenges for post harvest systems include

• No commercial forage seed availability for short

term legumes

• High management/labor costs

• Potentially good return to labor only in

intensive, specialized systems.

But…

• Already small amounts of supplementary

irrigation seem to be beneficial

• Perennial rice forage systems might be a

solution to some of these constraints

• Farmers can start forage seed production with

“Happy Farmers”• Although the return to labor is quite good and risk relatively

low, there has been little interest

• Birla Lao pulp company tries to use forages as a

strategy in their impact mitigation program• Establishment and management of forage plots in between

Eucalyptus plantations could be challenging

• Especially aspired free-grazing systems do require good

management for sustainability

• Linking farmers to traders will be the next

challenge

• Farmer and district staff training is an important

issue

• Intensive follow up is constrained by the large

area

• Lack of institutional incentives make the

successful intervention in each district

dependent on the personal commitment and

interest of the local staff

• Slow and bureaucratic processes in place to

ensure proper use of funds make work

cumbersome