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Buy Skinny, Sell Fat – Laos
The traditional methods of farming in the upland regions of Laos are based on shifting cultivation systems that allow the land plenty of fallow time between crops to recover fertility and reduce weeds. Increasing population pressure has reduced these fallow periods, and environmental changes, such as deforestation, have resulted in less forested land and increased soil erosion. This has meant a loss of soil fertility, increased weed pressure, and lower yields for the already poor rice farmers. By growing grasses, known as forages, to feed their animals, the farmers are discovering a new cash income.
Laos – The Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Laos is mainly a rural society, with 85 per cent of the population depending on agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture accounts for 52 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP), with livestock and fisheries contributing 18 per cent. The most productive areas are the lowlands along the Mekong river and its tributaries. The upland areas are more remote, have poorer road and market access, and rely mostly on subsistence farming. These areas have been bypassed by economic growth and many live in poverty.
| Any strategy to assist these poor farmers has to tackle the issue at several levels – it needs to stimulate growth in agricultural productivity, raise incomes and conserve environmental resources. |
CIAT Forages Projects in
Southeast Asia
For nearly 20 years, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT – Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical) has been working to address these issues. The Forages for Smallholders Project (FSP) and its successor, the Livestock and Livelihoods Systems Project (LLSP), involve a network of smallholder farmers, development workers and researchers who focus on improving livestock production through forage technologies across Southeast Asia. The Forages and Livestock Systems Project (FLSP), supported by AusAID, focuses on implementing changes in livestock production systems in the north of Laos. This is the project reported in Hands On.
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Feeding fodder to cattle.
Credit: Jim Holmes and CIAT |
Livestock are a valuable resource for families: a potential source of income, as buffalo can be rented out for ploughing, and a form of insurance as they can be sold if crops fail. Most people have not been keen to sell their animals as they would lose this potential financial safety net. Traditionally, therefore, livestock have not been kept specifically to sell on, and generally investment in them has been low. They tend to be kept at a subsistence level and fed on native feeds and crop residues.
In much of the world, and certainly in Southeast and East Asia, there are changes in the demand for livestock and livestock products due to population growth, increasing urbanisation and rising incomes. It is estimated that demand for meat will increase by 3 per cent per annum in this region by 2020. In Laos, about 75 per cent of the cattle and buffalo produced are consumed domestically, and the remaining 25 per cent are exported, mostly to Thailand, although increasingly to Vietnam and, potentially, to China.
Financial Security
Farmers are becoming aware that improved livestock production could improve their financial security. To assist these farmers CIAT is encouraging them to grow forage crops as animal feed and by doing so to increase the value of their animals.
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In a project funded by the Australian government (AusAID), CIAT has been working with more than 1300 households in over 100 villages in five districts of two provinces – Xieng Khouang and Louang Prabang – over the past five years. |
Livestock production systems are very variable between villages and areas, sometimes due to differences in available resources and sometimes for cultural reasons. Because of this diversity a range of options needs to be evaluated on each farm and the best options adapted to suit the needs of the farmers.
Encouraging government staff to work with farmers in a participatory manner has also been part of the project. Through partnerships with national institutions and extensive training and mentoring programmes, teams have been created that are skilled in participatory methods and information exchange.
Forages
Forages are grasses, herbaceous legumes and shrub/tree legumes that can be used for feeding animals. They can also provide other agricultural benefits, such as soil erosion control, soil fertility improvement and weed control.
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Gathering grasses to feed the livestock.
Credit: Jim Holmes and CIAT |
Initially many varieties of forages were evaluated, but these have been reduced from around 600 species and varieties to about 40 crops broadly adapted for feeding livestock in the region.
Considerations for forage selection
- The farmer’s needs must be understood . Sometimes there are enough local resources to feed the livestock. Only if there is a real need will farmers be motivated to trial and evaluate forages and adapt them for their own needs.
- Suitable ways of growing and using forages must be chosen. For example, grazed plots are a simple way if the land is available, but they need to be fenced off to stop other animals grazing there. Forage grown elsewhere can be cut and carried to where the livestock feed. This method has the added advantage of concentrating manure for easy collection. Living fences provide a high protein feed supplement, and keep livestock out of other crop areas.
- The most appropriate forage for the soil and climate are required . Data has been collected on how species are grown, and which are best for certain soils, climates and any special conditions. Based on this data forages can be selected for farmers to evaluate and adapt as necessary.
- A good choice of forage should be offered, including the best varieties. With so many options available it is important that the best varieties in terms of growth and potential for use are offered.
Attributes that are looked for in a crop are:
- Whether it grows well in a wet or dry season;
- How fast it grows;
- How long it lives;
- How suitable it is for all livestock, at all stages of growth.
Forage crops are convenient as they can be planted near villages, animal pens or enclosures. They can be cropped from small plots or hedgerows and then used as a supplementary food. At certain times, strategic feeding of cows and calves can be used to improve their resistance to parasites and diseases. Forage can be fed to cattle to fatten them up just before sale. The size of the forage crops can easily be increased by taking cuttings. One bunch of forage can produce about four or five cuttings.
Impact of the Project
Gradually, attitudes to selling livestock are changing as people see the financial benefits this can bring.
Farmers are saving time as forage crops are grown close by rather than fodder having to be collected from natural vegetation. The livestock is in better condition, therefore healthier and able to reproduce more often. Consequently, the income from livestock rearing is becoming increasing important for the farmers’ livelihoods. As income from rice cultivation is dropping, the benefits of having an alternative income are becoming more obvious.
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Cattle being taken to market – but the road infrastructure
is often not so good. Credit: Jim Holmes and CIAT
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There are certain problems that still need to be addressed.
- It can be difficult to get the livestock to market due to a poor road infrastructure.
- Due to their remoteness farmers lack up-to-date market information and so may not be able to get the best prices.
- For some of the poorest, a lack of capital prevents them from purchasing livestock, although they can start with the smallest livestock – pigs or poultry – and work their way up to larger animals.
- There could be further deforestation if land is cleared for pasture, although not if upland cropping areas are converted to forage plots.
- Livestock diseases are a major problem for farmers in the uplands of Laos, although animals that are fed and breed well are less likely to have problems with disease.
For those who have tried forages, the financial benefits are having an impact. More income has provided a degree of stability, so they are more willing to invest in livestock in the future, as well as to improve other aspects of their life, such as housing, and sending the children to school for more years.
Acknowledgements
Hands On would like to thank Rod Lefroy, Regional Coordinator of CIAT in Asia, and Peter Horne, the project leader of FLSP, for their contributions to this case study.
Further reading
Developing forages with smallholder farmers - how to select the best varieties to offer farmers http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/asia/
rfd_how_to_select_languages.htm
Developing forages with smallholder farmers - how to grow, manage and use forages
http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/asia/
rfd_series_how_to_grow_languages.htm
Developing agricultural solutions with smallholder farmers - how to get started with participatory approaches
http://isa.ciat.cgiar.org/catalogo/
producto.jsp?codigo=P0242
Review of the livestock sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Prepared for the Asian Development Bank by W Stür, D Gray, G Bastin, Jul 2002
http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/asia/pdf/
adb_livestock_review.pdf
Further Information
CIAT in Asia
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Vientiane
Lao PDR
Tel: + 856 (21) 770 090
Fax: + 856 (21) 770 091
Website: http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/asia
International Livestock Research Institute
Website: http://www.ilri.cgiar.org/
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