Progress Report 1

Progress ReportApril – September 2015

Progress Report 2

Summary of Progress

• Since the Steering Committee meeting in April, a better understanding of the problems and opportunities has emerged from the baseline studies

• Also a strong presence has been established in the two target provinces, and a number of exciting new initiatives have started in the field

• At the national level, the project continues to make a valuable contribution to: o a) capacity building for the Lao Farmers Network,o b) functional improvements at the Department of Agricultural Extension and

Cooperatives, o c) information sharing for policy makers, planners and managers via face-to-face

meetings and online platforms.

Progress Report 3

Assessment of Progress

• The progress report includes an assessment of progress based on the log-frame indicators

• Each Outcome and Output is rated on a 5-point scale as follows:0 = Nothing done; 1 = Proposals made, but no practical implementation 2 = Implementation started but limited progress 3 = Steady progress, but less than planned4 = Progressing as planned; on track to achieve targets5 = Logframe targets fully achieved

• Using this scale, the Project Management Team rate the current level of progress as 3.5

Progress Report 4

Outcome 1: Upland small farmers have better agricultural productivity and income through better advisory services

• Selected Outputs:o Priorities for service provision have been identified as a result of baseline

studies and multi-stakeholder workshops.o Plans for conducting diverse field activities led by PAFOs in both Oudomxay

and Xieng Khuang have been agreed, funded and implementation has started.

o Understanding of selected value chains is improving as a result of participatory studies and business-matching (incl. organic veg, cardamom and coffee)

o Members of the Lao Farmer Network are gaining a better understanding of how to deal with debt through the on-going production of informational material

• Assessment of Progress: 3

Progress Report 5

Outcome 2: Self-determined / independent farmer organisations are providing demand-oriented services to members

• Selected Outputs:o The governance of the Lao Farmer Network has been strengthened through

workshops at both the national level and at the level of member organisations

o LFN has been raising the voice of small farmers through presentations at sub-sector working groups, and in negotiations for new projects in the sector (i.e. GFRAS)

o LFN has established a new market outlet in Vientiane to improve sales of products from member organisations

o Informational material that raises awareness on the problem of small holder debt has been produced, under the heading of ‘think before you borrow’.

• Assessment of Progress: 4

Progress Report 6

Outcome 3: Demand-driven and gender inclusive advisory services are delivered by state and non-state actors

• Selected Outputs:o DAEC’s leadership in promoting farmer organisations has been

enhanced through new capacity-building guidelines, workshops attended by all 18 PAFOs, an on-going nationwide survey

o The Division for Advancement of Women (DAW) in MAF is collecting data on women working in agricultural extension, while the Gender Development Association (GDA) is working with staff of the Ministry of Information and Culture to improve the relevance of radio programmes for ethnic women.

o Information has been collected about the scale of pesticide use, and discussion are on-going about how the project might respond.

• Assessment of Progress: 2

Progress Report 7

Outcome 4: The policy framework is more conducive for integration of smallholder farmers into value chains

• Selected Outputs:o Policy dialogue continues to be supported through the SSWG-

FAB. Two new studies were commissioned during this period: on Market Information Systems, and the Impact of Falling Rubber prices on Small Farmers

o Access to information is provided through LaoFAB, LaoLink, and Lao44. An estimated 10,000 people are using these services

o At the regional level, LURAS supported the inaugural meeting of the Mekong Extension Learning Alliance (MELA), which is contributing to sharing of experience among five countries.

o Assessment of Progress: 3

Progress Report 8

Cross-Cutting Issues

• Gender & Ethnicity:o Services for ethnic women continue to be constrained by a number of

factors: number of female technicians, language barrier and trust issues. The project is exploring new approaches to reaching these women.

• Sustainability:o Unsustainable farming practices have been expanding rapidly in recent

years, and this issue need much more attention from extension services.• Governance:

o The activities of the Lao Farmer Network have received full support from the DAEC. The LFN demonstrates the potential for small farmers to work together in developing the agriculture sector

Progress Report 9

Lessons Learned• Each of the following issues is explored in more detail in a separate report, which includes

recommendations on how LURAS can respond:• Commercial farming has created new sources of income for small farmers, but there are

serious concerns about the impact on human health and the environment• Local authorities have a limited capacity to regulate new forms of agribusiness that have

been introduced by Chinese investors • There are also unanswered questions about the market potential and income benefits of

crops being promoted by various parties • The access of ethnic women to services is limited. This is not only an issue of

language/accessibility, but also an issue of trust. • The promotion of farmer organisations has often resulted in high levels of dependency,

raising questions about sustainability.• Food security and incomes depend on a wide range of factors, not only the production

and marketing of crops and livestock. • Young people are leaving rural areas in large numbers, which has implications for the long-

term viability of small-holder farming.

Progress Report 10

Priorities for the next period

• Based on progress to date, the following priorities are proposed for the next 6 months:o Conduct internal review and planning workshop, including discussion on what

is working - and what is not working - among current LURAS interventions.o Follow-up on agreements with PAFOs and proposals from DAFOs, to facilitate

funding of services for small farmers in line with the priorities of the project. o Seek opportunities for new partnerships with private sector, non-profit

associations and farmer organisations operating in the target provinces. o Renew the agreements at the national level with DAEC, LFN and CLICK for

2016. o In collaboration with DAEC, complete the First National Report on the Status of

Farmer Organisations in Laos.o Ensure a satisfactory completion of the District Baseline study, specifically the

analysis and reporting of field data that has already been collected.

Progress Report 11

Priorities for the next period (continued)o Continue to assess organic value chains and prepare strategy for promoting

products with high potential. o Under the umbrella of the SSWG-FAB, complete the on-going study on options

for rubber smallholders, and start new study on local policy processes. o With the participation of the SDC Junior Professional Officer, initiate an action

learning process with ethnic women to explore alternative approaches for service provision.

o Continue collaboration with other projects, especially TABI and EFICAS, to develop agro-ecological responses to the maize crisis.

o Explore ways to extend the reach of existing information services to involve a larger number of farmers, field workers and students.

o Develop and agree on mechanism for supporting graduates from the Northern Agriculture College who want to start micro-enterprises and farmer services.

Progress Report 12

Thank You!