Laos plans to produce over 2 million tonnes of rice

(KPL) Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry plans to yield over 2.4 million tonnes of rice on 635,000 ha nationwide this year to meet domestic consumption demand.

This was to ensure sufficiently in rice consumption countrywide leading to
the reduction of importing rice from neighbouring countries.

On average, one person consumes about 450 kg of rice annually. For this
reason, Laos should produce at least 2.5 million tonnes of paddy rice per
year.

"If Laos want to produce rice for export it should produce more than 3
million tones," said President of Agricultural Product Processing and
Production Group, Mr Sisouphanh Sengsavanh.
The figure has been averaged about the population of 6 million, he added.

Currently the rainy season rice production is underway and the
transplantation practice is expected to be completed by late last this
month.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said, "Over 36,000 ha in seven
northern provinces have been already transplanted last month".
Bokeo was the most outstanding province transplanted rice over 13,938 ha
late last month considering increased 3 percent of target plan while six
central provinces have been completed over 101,801 ha.

However, the Planning and Investment Division of Phongsaly province said
recently that this year the province would suffer the rice shortage about
13,000 tonnes, due to the rice fields of rainy season rice production have
been flooded during the first three months of the year which the yield
expected to be under the plan.