The LWU has the potential to play a major role in training, sensitization and social mobilization of women beneficiaries and formation of savings and credit groups.

Planned

Achieved

To strengthen the provincial livestock and fishery section.

To provide training in crop and livestock production to LWU village representatives through the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Service Office (PAFSO); and to provide training in project management and use of credit to provincial and district staff.

The main constraint on successful implementation has been lack of staff in PAFSO: the livestock and fisheries section has been unable to meet staffing targets. During the 2001 supervision mission, it was agreed to hire high-school graduates resident in the districts and provide them with on-the-job training.

The LWU has trained 14 763 beneficiaries, of whom 1 113 were trained in livestock and agricultural activities. Other training has included gender awareness, savings and handicrafts.

The rural financial sector in Laos is still in an early phase of development and faces problems of accessibility, especially from remote villages. Formal credit institutions exist in all provinces, but their outreach to rural areas is limited by high costs and long delivery times. Many beneficiaries are unaware of the financial services available.

Planned

Achieved

To provide short-term loans for aquaculture, small-animal production and marketing of livestock products and crops; medium-term loans for sow breeding and cattle raising; and long-term loans for fishponds.

Loans have been provided to 171 groups in 67 villages. The Agricultural Promotion Bank records indicate that loans amounting to about USD 646 000 had been disbursed as of April 2002, of which about 50% were allocated to buffalo/cattle raising.

The poorest households are not always aware of credit opportunities. Poor beneficiaries sometimes choose not to apply for credit because interest rates are high – 24% for short-term loans – and they are afraid of being unable to repay loans. Beneficiaries sometimes obtain credit from other organizations that offer lower interest rates.

Animal numbers are out of balance, particularly in the upland plains. In the savannahs, stocking rates are so high that the forage available during the latter part of the dry season is below the level required to maintain the animals, leading to slow growth rates. There is evidence that grazing areas are declining because of weed encroachment. The savannah grazing land in the western part of the province is deficient in phosphorus, which causes health and reproductive problems for livestock. The forage is high in fibre, few legumes are present and cattle diets are low in protein, which limits the animals’ ability to utilize the fibre. Few farmers provide supplementary feed for cattle. Little effort is made to conserve fodder from rice straw or maize stover, much of which is wasted. Pigs scavenge around the villages and the minimal supplements given to them are high in fibre and low in protein.

To provide training in animal nutrition principles and forage development.

To demonstrate and encourage the use of phosphorus-rich mineral blocks.

To plant live fences round home plots to serve as forage resources. One household will be selected in each of the 245 villages as a demonstration. The project was to provide cooperating farmers with financial assistance, technical advice and free seeds, seedlings or cuttings. Farmer training would be given at forage demonstration plots established by cooperating farmers in 89 villages.

To assist Phou Kilou cattle station in moving from redistribution of cattle-bank animals to becoming a centre for the multiplication of forage seed and planting material.

Tropical legumes (Stylosanthes) have been introduced as a source of protein for pigs. Further research is necessary to determine the optimal quantities for various categories of pigs and ensure that there will be no harmful effects.

Phosphorus-rich mineral blocks have been introduced. Farmers have noticed that cattle become fatter when they lick the blocks and that cases of lameness decrease.

According to the 2001 supervision report, no live fences have been planted and no forage demonstrations have been carried out.

The supervision mission was informed that the provincial government plans to make Phou Kilou station into a self-supporting unit. This can only be achieved by selling a proportion of the cattle received instead of redistributing them. Since the original purpose of the cattle station would no longer be fulfilled, the objective is to turn the IFAD-supported station into a station supported by the provincial government.

Animal productivity is low. Calves are not identified at birth, all ages of cattle are run together and no attempt is made to control breeding. Most cows become pregnant early in the wet season; calves are born in the dry season. This leads to a mismatch between available feed and cows’ nutritional requirements. Rates of abortion, stillbirths and calf mortality are high because of this breeding cycle.

The province is a fish-deficit area. Fish are raised mainly by the poorer farmers. There is potential for further pond development in lowland and upland areas.

To provide training for farmers in animal nutrition and livestock management.

To provide staff and operational support to Khang Pok fisheries station, and training and technical support to farmers receiving credit for aquaculture.

In villages in Phookood district, 16 volunteers were given five-day training courses in livestock management.

Approximately one million fingerlings of carp and talopia have been sold to farmers from the Khang Pok fisheries station. According to the supervision report, no aquaculture, pig or poultry demonstrations have been carried out.

Disease is a major cause of low livestock productivity. Haemorrhagic septicaemia and blackleg are endemic in bovines; occasional outbreaks cause mortality. Only 35% of cattle and 45% of buffaloes are vaccinated. Swine fever breaks out periodically; only 10% of pigs are vaccinated against it. Outbreaks of Newcastle disease and fowl cholera periodically decimate village flocks; fewer than 5% of poultry in the area are vaccinated. The quality of vaccines is doubtful: the cold chain lacks equipment and knowledge and is consequently ineffective. Livestock are rarely treated with anthelmintics.

To train 200 new village veterinary workers in diagnosis of common diseases, use of anthelmintics and vaccines, handling of drugs and application of basic nutritional principles for each class of livestock. Each trainee should receive a veterinary kit.

To build on existing vaccination programmes to vaccinate 65% of cattle and buffalo, 60% of pigs and 50% of poultry by 2004.

To fund staff training and operational expenses for the cold chain; and provide equipment, vaccines, anthelmintics and support facilities to the diagnostic laboratory, and revolving funds for purchase of vaccines at province and district levels.

To provide extension materials demonstrating techniques for improving care of livestock.

To provide a short-term technical assistant to refine the approach to improving animal health.

Seven training courses on vaccination and livestock management were given in Phookood, Pek, Phaxay and Kham districts. Training and the supply of veterinary kits for village veterinary workers are significantly below projections however.

A demonstration vaccination campaign was carried out in ten villages in Phookood district. Trained village veterinary workers vaccinated 70% of cattle and buffalo, 30% of pigs and 17.5% of poultry in participating villages. The workers were supplied with free vaccines and charged farmers for the service. It is reported that each veterinary worker in Phookood now has a personal revolving fund for vaccine supplies. Following this success, it is proposed that the vaccination campaign be repeated in the remaining project districts.

There have been improvements, but problems with the cold chain persist according to the supervision report.