Final Report Provincial Review and Planning Workshop/Refresher
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This project is funded by Food and Agriculture Ministry of Agriculture A project implemented by the Asian the European Union Organization of the United and Forestry Institute of Technology Nations Final report Provincial Review and Planning Workshop/Refresher - Training on FPAR and Soil improvement In Laos April 2017 SUSTAINING AND ENHANCING THE MOMENTUM FOR INNOVATION AND LEARNING AROUND THE SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION (SRI) IN THE LOWER MEKONG RIVER BASIN (SRI-LMB) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This is to acknowledge that these 3 provincial review and planning workshops/refresh-trainings on FPAR and soil improvement would not have been successful without the active participation and contributions from the Heads of Provincial Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives (PAEC) and Provincial Coordinators. We thank the Heads of District of Agriculture and Forestry Office (DAFO) and District Coordinators and Farmer Trainers from 9 districts within the three Provinces: Vientiane, Khammouan and Savannaketh provinces for their active participation in these workshops. We acknowledge the support from Dr. Tiene Vannasouk DDG of DAEC, Country Focal Point of SRI-LMB project in Laos, for his active support and giving advice for a successful workshop. Support from FAO IPM in Vientiane Capital is also acknowledged for their active advice on concept note, budgeting arrangement to assist PMU, training expert and admin officer for preparation and organization of these workshops. We acknowledge Dr. Abha Mishra, team leader of SRI-LMB project, for her advice and suggestion to concept note as well as Mr. Jan Willem Ketelaar at FAO RAP in BKK for his comments to concept note and his approval of funds for this workshop, held within context of the FAO Trust Fund project GCP/RAS/288/AIT. Compiled by Viengxay PHOTAKOUN PMU of Country Coordinator. ABOUT THE PROJECT The SRI-LMB and EU-Financed regional project aims to contribute towards enhancing the resilience of rainfed farmers confronting climate change variability in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) region. It brings various stakeholders together working at global, regional, national, and local levels. The purpose of the project is to increase crop yield, productivity and profitability on sustainable base at smallholder farmer’s field in rainfed areas of LMB. The project through its action aims to address the food security and livelihood issue of smallholder farmers by developing adaptive measures against climate change. The action is being implemented in four LMB countries: Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. The total period for implementation is 60 months (2013 -2017). The project is led by Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in partnership with FAO, Oxfam, SRI-Rice of Cornell University and University of Queensland together with many national partners coming from ministries, national universities and NGOs. CONTACT DETAILS AT REGIONAL LEVEL: The regional coordination unit of the project is hosted by the Asian Center of Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Intensification (ACISAI), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Ground Floor, Administrative Building, Khlong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand. The National Coordinator of the Project in Lao PDR is hosted by the Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives (DAEC), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), and staffed by the Project Management Unit (PMU) Coordinator and National Training Expert. Name: Dr. Abha Mishra Designation: Regional/PMU Coordinator Address: ACISAI Center, Gr. Floor, Outreach Building AIT, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand Phone: +66-2-524-582 Email: [email protected] Name: Mr. Ashwin Mysore Designation: Action Research Coordinator Address: ACISAI Center, Gr. Floor, Outreach Building AIT, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand Phone: +66-2-524-5827 Email: [email protected] Name: Mr. Jan Willem Ketelaar Designation: Action Research Expert, and point person from FAO for SRI-LMB Address: FAO IPM, FAO-RAP Office, Vientiane, LAO Email: [email protected] AT NATIONAL LEVEL: Name: Mr Viengxay PHOTAKOUN Designation: Project Management Unit Coordinator Address: Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives, Lao PDR Phone: +856-20-55521454 Email: [email protected] Name: Mr. Kongsy Xayavong Designation: National Training Expert Address: Department of Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives Email: [email protected] Phone: +856-20-22883747 AT LOCAL LEVEL Vientiane Province Name: Miss. Keo Uodone Sixomxuean Designation: Provincial Project Coordinator Address: Provincial Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives, Vientiane Province Email: [email protected] Phones: Mobile: +856-20-55291571; +856-20- 99997220 Khammouan Province Name: Ms. Khampheuth Vonlattana Designation Provincial Project Coordinator Address: Provincial Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives, Khammouan Province Email: [email protected] Phones: Office: +856-51-496005; mobile: +856-20-58804699 Savannakhet Province Name: Mr Chanlakhone Xayalath Designation Provincial Project Coordinator Address: Provincial Agricultural Extension and Cooperatives, Savannakhet Province Email: [email protected] Phones: Office: +856-41-496005; mobile: +856-20-22437771 PROJECT PARTNERS AND THEIR KEY STAFFS FAO Name: Mr. Jan Willem Ketelaar Designation: Action Research Expert, and point person from FAO for SRI-LMB Address: FAO IPM, FAO-RAP Office, Bangkok, Thailand Email: [email protected] Name: Ms. Vornthalom Chanthavong Designation: Programme Development Officer Address: FAO IPM, Vientiane, Lao PDR E-mail: [email protected] OXFAM Name: Ms.Keo Keneka Designation: Policy and Communication officer Address: Oxfam Regional Office for the East Asia, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Email: [email protected] PROJECT ADVISORS Name: Prof. Norman T. Uphoff Designation: Advisor (Project Associate) Address: SRI-RICE Cornell University, USA Email: [email protected] Name: Prof. Maxwell J. Whitten Designation: Advisor (Project Associate) Address: University of Queensland, Australia Email: [email protected] ACRONYMS ACISAI Asian Center of Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Intensification ADB Asian Development Bank AIT Asian Institute of Technology CFPAR Central Farmers’ Participatory Action Research FPAR Farmer’s Participatory Action Research DAEC Department of Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives DDG Deputy Director General DOA Department of Agriculture DOC Department of Cooperation DOI Department of Irrigation DOP Department of Planning EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations FFS Farmer’s Field School IPM Integrated Pest Management LMB Lower-Mekong Basin M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MAF Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MEI Monitoring Evaluation and Innovation MEL Monitoring Evaluation and Learning NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations NIPW National Inception and Planning Workshop NSC National Steering Committee NUoL National University of Laos PCU Project Coordination Unit PMU Project Management Unit PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PAR Participatory Action Research PSO Permanent Secretary Office SRI System of Rice Intensification SRI LMB System of Rice Intensification in the Lower Mekong River Basin TOT Training of Trainer TWG Technical Working Group EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This first series of 3 Provincial Review and Planning Workshops/Refresher-Trainings on Farmer Participatory Action Research (FPAR) and soil improvement in Laos was held in Khammouan, Savannaketh and Vientiane Provinces from 3 to 13 April 2017. The workshops were organized by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperatives (DAEC) and hosted by Provincial Agriculture Extension and Cooperatives (PAEC) in the three above-mentioned provinces. The objective of the workshops was to share FPAR knowledge and experience between and among provincial coordinators, district coordinators and farmer trainers. This included a review of FPAR results, implementation challenges, opportunities, lesson learnt, recommendations and work plans for scaling up FPAR during the next wet season in 2017. In total, some 72 participants (17 women) from 9 districts within the three provinces plus 3 DAEC staff attended this workshop. A major output of the workshops were review of 46 FPAR activities completed with 9 districts in the year 2016. Second point the workshop were refresh training on soil improvement to farmers and draft work plans for 82 FPARs during the next wet season in 2017. 1. BACKGROUND The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT, www.ait.asia) is leading a European Union-financed project entitled “Sustaining and Enhancing the Momentum for Innovation and Learning around the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in the Lower Mekong River Basin (SRI-LMB: http://www.sri-lmb.ait.asia/). The project is implemented in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Oxfam America, SRI-Rice Cornell University in the USA, the University of Queensland in Australia, and government ministries and national universities of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. AIT has been implementing a “more intelligent pathway” for cultivating healthy and profitable rice under climate change scenario. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an emerging alternative set of principles and methods to conventional rice cultivation techniques which instill a social dimension to farming to produce healthy and profitable crops using less water and less seed, and through skillful management of plants, soils, water, nutrients, pests and labour. The Project is being implemented in the food-insecure