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Lao PDR is an elongated, landlocked country between Thailand and Vietnam, also bordering Cambodia in the south and Myanmar and China in the north. The area is 237,000 km2, 3.3% of which is arable. Most is mountainous and covered in rainforest. Logging of the forest is a major environmental problem. The Mekong River forms a fertile valley through most of the country, where agriculture, mainly rice farming, is carried out. Agriculture makes up half the country's GDP.
General information
- GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 1,540
- Internal renewable water resources: 270 km3
- Main food consumed: rice, meat, roots and tubers, maize, pulses
- Rice consumption, 1999: 171.4 kg milled rice per person per year
Production constraints
During the last five years, rice yield has steadily increased. A further increase in yield, however, may require the development of irrigation facilities. There are several constraints to sustainable rice production:
- Drought in rainfed areas
- Soil erosion and fertility losses in upland rice cultivation
- Periodic flooding because of swelling of the Mekong River
- Sandy soils with low fertility, especially of Pa and K
- Weeds, insects, and diseases
- Inadequate infrastructure
- Inadequate credit and input supply: fertilizer and other agrochemicals
- Small farm size
- Price fluctuations
- Popular preference for glutinous rice
Production season |
|
|
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
Wet season |
May-Jul |
Nov-Dec |
Dry season |
Dec-Jan |
Apr-Jun |
Basic statistics, Lao PDR |
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
Rice |
Area harvested (ha) |
663,487 |
663,600 |
559,900 |
617,538 |
718,200 |
690,000 |
Yield (t/ha) |
2.1 |
2.3 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
2.9 |
3.1 |
Production (t) |
1,396,200 |
1,507,500 |
1,417,829 |
1,674,500 |
2,102,815 |
2,155,100 |
Rice imports (t) |
6,800 |
4,240 |
15,939 |
40,585 |
4,707 |
na |
Others |
Population, total (x103) |
3,594 |
4,152 |
4,773 |
5,163 |
5,297 |
na |
Population, agriculture (x103) |
2,833 |
3,242 |
3,688 |
3,964 |
4,057 |
na |
Agricultural area (x103 ha) |
1,670 |
1,650 |
1,650 |
1,678 |
na |
na |
Irrigated agricultural area (x103 ha) |
119 |
135 |
155 |
164 |
na |
na |
Total fertilizer consumption (t) |
2,000 |
1,500 |
6,189 |
10,166 |
na |
na |
Tractors used in agric. (no.) |
780 |
870 |
890 |
890 |
na |
na |
Source: FAOSTAT online database. |
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