Animal raising in northern provinces promoted

(KPL) The Swiss Co-operation and Development Fund, Japan Poverty Reduction Fund, the Asian Development Fund and the government of Laos have granted US$ 18.9 million to 18 poor districts in five provinces- Luang Prabang, Luang Namtha, Bokeo, Huaphan and Xieng Khuang.

The grant will be used for supporting raising animals, mostly cattle, of the local farmers in the provinces during the next decade to promote income generation reducing the poverty of ethnic people under the project Farmers' Animal Raising Promotion (2007-2013).

The project is implemented in 12 poor districts in five provinces, covering 156 villages and over 2,200 families.
So far this year the project has provided grass species to farmers to plant for their cattle and the grass has been planted on 273.8 ha.

The project also presented office appliance and 52 motorcycles and 15 pickups to Farmers' Animal Raising Promotion Project's Co-ordinator Offices
of the five provinces. The grant was worth 2.83 billion kip.

The handover took place on 3 July at the Livestock and Fishery Department,
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and was performed by head of the
department Dr. Bounkuang Khambounhieng and representatives of the
co-ordinating offices from the five provinces.