The annual meeting of the Lao Farmer Network is the largest gathering of farmers in Laos that takes place every year. the Lao Farmers Network brings together 173 farmer organizations from 16 provinces with the purpose to strengthen cooperation among smallholder farmers. For this occasion of the general assembly, 173 members production groups met in Vientiane capital.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2019, the situation of travel, meeting/exchanging has been difficult, most of activities have to be organized online. On February 1, 2023, the “Annual General Assembly of the Lao Farmer Network (LFN)” was held at the Farmers, Agribusiness and Market Engagement Center (FAME), Vientiane Capital, with more than 80 participants from farmers networks representatives, governments, private sectors, and development partners such as LURAS, FAO, UNDP, ALiSEA Network, PISCA, and others.
The event started with a poster’s session of 15 partners organizations and farmer representatives who presented and shared their experience on various of topics such as organic fertilizer business of Thakhor group, spring onion seed business, a new rice farming system, integrated pest control, producer public private sector partnership development, agriculture innovation competition scheme, etc. (The posters can be downloaded here)
About ALiSEA network was presented by Ms. Manivanh, ALiSEA- Regional Small Grant Manager
After that, 2022 activities progress and action plans for 2023 were presented and discussed with the members.
The network supports each member on the following topics including strengthening farmers organization, organizational management, improvement of farming systems-, processing, market access and private partnership engagement. In addition, LFN fosters information sharing, farmers to farmers learning and policy dialogues.
The Lao Farmer Network is divided into 3 sub-networks:
- Rice Network: there are 58 farmer groups, 6,850 farmers in 8 provinces (Xieng Khouang, Huaphan, Champasak, Attapue, Xayyabouly, Khammouane, Bolikhamxay and Vientiane province), the total area is 900ha.
- Tea Network: there are 19 farmer groups in 6 provinces (Xieng Khouang, Huaphan, Bokeo, Oudomxay, Xayyabouly and Phongsaly), 1,022 households, more than 5,000 farmers. The total area is 956ha.
- Vegetable network: there are 50 farmer groups in 12 provinces, 2,328 households, 15,880 farmers. The total area is 2,212ha.
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- Mr. Bounthan, President of the Vegetable network, who stood next to the woman
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- Mr. Vixien – President of Rice network
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- Mr. Bounyong – President of Tea network, who was standing
For 2023, the members of the LFN decided to create two new sub-networks related to coffee and to NTFPs.