ACIAR's Contribution to Lowland Rice Technologies in Laos

Abstract

The lowland rice industry in Laos experiences dry conditions regularly. Rice producers also face rising labour costs as the Lao economy grows. Much of the crop is consumed by the farm households who grew it. Between 1997 and 2012, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) co-funded a set of three projects with the main outcomes being the development of rice varieties that are more tolerant of dry conditions and direct seeding technologies to replace traditional hand transplanting. Increases in human capacity and scientific knowledge were other significant outcomes from the projects. Direct seeding allowed the release of family labour for other on- and off-farm, an..