Report on the Basic Survey on Agricultural and Rural Development by Progress Stage in Asian Countries
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Assigned by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Report on the Basic Survey on Agricultural and Rural Development by Progress Stage in Asian Countries LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC Focus on Savannakhet and Champasak MARCH 1998 The Asian Population and Development Association The Middle in the front Mr. Khamphiou Vissapra, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Behind- from the left Dr. Seiichi fukui, Survey Team Leader Mr. Oudone Sisingkham, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Mr. Akihiko Oono, Survey Team Member Mr. Mitsuru Sonoe, Survey Team Member Mr. Osamu Kusumoto, Survey Team Member From the Left Mr. Akira Hashimoto, JICA Expert Mr. Tanousay Ounthouang, Deputy Director General, Department of Irrigation, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Water Reservoir KM35 (Savannakhet) Field Survey at DKK Village (Savannakhet) Pumping Facility at ND village (Champasak) Field Survey at ND Village Se Don River in Rainy Season Se Don River in Dry Season MAP of LAO P.D.R. 1 " I I N....•"--... l- 102° 1041, ,01 f , CHINA LAO PEOPLE'S s!, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC --- • •— International boundary 0 Town, village -22° 22°- •—•—• Provincial boundary Principal road Ph-longsall :\ 0 National capital Secondary road • Provincial capital 4' Airport PHONbSALI 0 50 100 150km ' L UAW.' T A ' 0 50 100mi Louan Namtha ••• V1N 4L.)udo kengkbaurt /1BOKE0 mong 5, .‘• say') -/ 4 s Sam Noila • I aOU r .MSAY Gulf of Tonkin ANG PRA •UAPI -IAN Pakbang 20°- Louang Probang,„/„. XIENG KI-10 ANG •.....-• • 5. " 11 -1 4 Phonsavan ,-. ..-.,_,, S'arboury ., Kaai N A.., • .....- .\ ,...).... VA , \-... Vang tong ‘._ - tel f IANE ......;.--. •-......(- '..--,. Nam (.. A.. --„, -..„„. ;Yvon I -,4,. ....,• RIKH AMS,,AY i: .‘07 ksanBe0A,#,, / a...t^ ....P. 1. \ -18' f OntiO.,,: 18°- ° st tidy ssso,y VIENTIANE: ooh I sk etn HAM UANE ',,.... • Thakheki -t\---r-rj''"\-."e .e/f/. ;\ '. '1, .,..4 ,..... THAILAND c)‘ 14n''' ';dva4 ‘----\ „-r's-A. • •••., "--":1-- The boundaries end names shown on this map7i4 do0naIy Knengkabao Sees. othool endorsement or aeceptanca by the United Nations. Savannakhet ti SAVANN KHET gonsin -16" % 16 - Srli •• n • itio Sara LAO P.D.R. PACIFIC Khofigseidon '1-8 EKONG • • t OCEAN ?Sekong TA° P Paksong • 0 • • OPEU Champassok des I 3 !loven /CH sA K i Attopeu INDIAN %, %•••/. OCEAN .• 14. 14° +1t:BANGKOK CAMBO 102° T 104° 1 14:115h) MAP NO.3489 Rev. 3 UNITED NATIONS OCTOBER 1990 Areas Most Affected by UXO Foreword This report presents the results of the "Basic Survey on Agricultural and Rural Development by Progress Stage in Asian Countries," a project implemented in Lao PDR by the Asian Population and Development Association under the consignment from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1997. The survey and compilation of the results were mainly carried out by the members of survey committee of APDA (Chairperson: Dr. Shigeto Kawano, Professor Emeritus, the University of Tokyo). The objective of this survey was as follows: "In extending assistance for agricultural and rural development to Asian countries, it is necessary to identify the areas in which agricultural and rural development assistance is to be offered, the form in which it is offered and the regions to which it is offered in accordance with stages of development in keeping with the country's policy issues for overall promotion and improvement of rural areas while taking structural changes in population and employment into consideration, in an effort to form the foundation for offering effective and efficient assistance. For this purpose, surveys will be conducted by selecting model regions from Asian countries to study the forms of agricultural and rural development according to structural changes in population and employment, thereby contributing to policy dialogue regarding agricultural and rural development. "The field survey in Laos PDR was conducted with the guidance and cooperation of: Mr. Khampiou Vissapra, Deputy Director General of the Ministerial Cabinet; Mr. Khampheuane Kingsada, Director General of Department of Forestry, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry; and Mr. Akira Hashimoto, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert. In Japan, guidance regarding the content of the survey and assistance in arrangement of field survey were offered by the International Cooperation Planning Division, Economic Affairs Bureau, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude for their support. I sincerely hope that this report will contribute to the advancement of the rural community and agricultural development programs in Lao PDR and support effective assistance by the Japanese Government in the country. Lastly, I would like to note that his report has been compiled under the sole responsibility of APDA and does not necessarily reflect the views or polices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries or the Japanese Government. March, 1998 Fukusaburo Maeda Chairman The Asian Population and Development Association Contents Foreword 7 Chapter One : The Outline of Lao PDR 13 1. Ecological environment 15 1.1 Geographic condition 15 1.2 Climate 17 1.3 Natural resources 18 2. Social and cultural environment 19 2.1 Administrative unit 19 2.2 Education 19 2.3 Ethnic groups and languages 20 2.4 Religion 21 3. Population of Lao PDR 21 3.1 Total population of Lao PDR 21 3.2 Population increase rate, gross birth rate, gross mortality rate and average life expectancy 23 3.3 Infant mortality rate 23 3.4 Population structure 24 3.5 Population by ethnic group 24 3.6 Percentage of urban and rural population 25 3.7 Literacy rate and school attendance rate 26 3.8 Labor population 26 3.9 Estimation of future population 27 4. Economy of Lao PDR 27 4.1 Outline of the economy 27 4.2 Emphasis of development 28 Chapter 2 Agricultural & Rural Development Strategy of the Lao PDR in ASEAN 41 1. Economic System and Socioeconomic Development 43 2. Lao PDR in ASEAN: 46 2.1 Rationale: 46 2.2 The Lao PDR's duties as a new member of ASEAN 47 2.3 Overview on Agriculture and Forestry situation in the Lao PDR 49 2.3.1 Policy for agriculture Forestry Sector 49 2.3.2 Actual performances on Agricultural and Forestry production 49 2.3.3 Major constraints confronting Agricultural development effort 50 2.3.4 Development Programmes of Agriculture and Forestry Sector. 53 3. Need for a new approach for moving from subsistence to commercial agriculture: . 55 4. Rural development in Lao PDR: 57 4.1 General: 57 4.2 Rural conditions in Lao PDR• 58 4.3 Rural Development Policies: 60 4.4 Directives and Measures for Implementing Rural Development 60 4.5 Measures: 60 Chapter 3 Field Study Report 63 1. Outline of the Surveyed Regions 65 1.1 Outline of Central and Southern Laos 65 1.2 Agricultural Development in the Rice Farming Villages of Central and Southern Laos 68 1.3 Outline of the surveyed villages 70 2. Analysis of Field Study 82 2.1 Population of the surveyed villages 82 2.2 Agriculture and rural economy in lowland paddy villages of Savannakhet Province and Champasak Province 87 2.3 Problems in development of lowland agriculture depending on paddy farming 94 3. Agriculture and Rural Development is Bolaven Plateau 95 3.1 Agriculture in Bolaven Plateau 95 3.2 Bolaven Plateau Integrated Rural Development Project 97 3.3 Challenges faced by Bolaven Plateau Comprehensive Project for Agricultural and Rural Development 98 Chapter 4 Field Survey Report II - Irrigation and Rural Community - 109 1. Present Situation of Irrigation 111 2. Irrigation policy and its problems 113 3. The significance of irrigation: higher production and consumption smoothing 115 4. Irrigation (the case of Savannakhet Province) 116 5. Water Users' Association and Its Charter 121 6. Conclusion 122 Chapter 5 Tasks and Outlook of Agricultural Development in Lao PDR 135 1. Agricultural development in socioeconomic development plan 137 2. Food self-sufficiency 138 3. Promotion of cash crop and stock farming 140 4. Stabilization of shifting cultivation 141 5. Fundamental strategy for agricultural development 142 Chapter 6 Survey Members and Itinerary 145 1. Survey Members 147 2. Cooperators 148 3. Itinerary 150 4. Collected Materials Lao PDR1996-1997 155 Chapter One The Outline of Lao PDR 1. Ecological environment 2. Social and cultural environment 3. Population of Lao PDR 4. Economy of Lao PDR Chapter One The Outline of Lao PDR 1. Ecological Environment 1.1 Geographic Condition The Lao People's Democratic Republic (hereinafter "Lao PDR") is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia having an elongated appearance that has the Mekong River in the north and stretches in the north-south direction along a mountain range in the central Indochina Peninsula. The national boundary line that surrounds her land area of 236,800km2 extends for 5,080km and borders with 5 countries including China, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. As for natural features, mountains and highlands, namely the northern mountain massif and the Louang mountains which is the backbone, are dominant and account for 75% of the land. Plains stretch out along the Mekong River in the provinces of Vientiane, Savannakhet and Champasak, comprising the breadbasket of Lao PDR. In terms of general regional division, the land can be divided into northern, central and southern regions. From the viewpoint of topography and geology, the country can be divided by 18 degrees north latitude, which stretches from the Vientiane Plains located on Korat Plateau extending from the northeastern Thailand to the Isthmus of Munya (the Isthmus of Kabao), into northern and southern regions (Figure 1). Figure 1 Topography of LAO P.D.R. Isthmus Munya Savannakhet Savannakhet Plain 500m- 200-500m 0-200m 104 . E 106 ' E 108E The northern region is geologically quite complex, mountains are generally dominant and the mountain ranges are comprised of limestone and crystalline rocks.