Planting rice under a Lao Australian ACIAR esearch project

Planting rice under a Lao Australian ACIAR esearch project

Key agricultural research priorities of Lao PDR for the next five years were discussed at recent consultations with the Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR)*.

The country consultations were an opportunity to discuss how ACIAR’scollaborative agricultural research and development program can move
forward in line with the Lao Government’s priorities for the agricultural sector.

In the lead up, a number of individual consultation workshops were conductedwith key stakeholders in active ACIAR programs across a range of industries.

The workshop outcomes were presented on 18 June 2012 in Vientiane at consultations attended by the Lao Vice Minister for Agriculture and Forestry,
HE Dr Phouang Parisak Pravongviengkham, the Australian Ambassador to Lao PDR, H.E. Lynda Worthaisong, as well as representatives from ACIAR,
AusAID, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the National Agriculture and Forestry
Research Institute (NAFRI), National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service, the National University of Laos and provincial offices.

Policy papers were presented on the agricultural development strategy,NAFRI research priorities, future co-operation with ACIAR and the MONRE
plan 2011-15. Indicative priorities on land and water resources, cropping systems and economics, livestock, agricultural systems management, forestry
and fisheries were identified.

ACIAR will use these priorities as a framework to develop a collaborative research program in the Lao PDR which is aligned with the Australia-Lao PDR
development co-operation strategy.