Title
Women farmers’ strategy to develop a Lao pork value chain
Description
Pork meat is one the affordable source of animal protein for Lao people. However, smallholder farmers’ pig raising are not common in Lao PDR and just two initiatives are reported, in Khamouane Province and in Xanakham district. This weakness is due to a lack of farmers’ technical ability for pig breeding in the country, whereas this sector would be advantageous, both in terms of incomes and nutrition balance. Although Nafro and pafo have the technical knowledge, and selected sources, for this pig raising, some organizational constraints and lack of partnerships inhibit the value chain development.
However, a women farmers group in Xanakham district has developed a pig production for few years, and set a specific organization to deal with these technical difficulties. In order to get selected piglets, they have set partnerships with Thai companies on the other sides of the border, which sell them piglets and add some technical advices. They have also set some agreements with the government offices and banks to obtain some specific loans (to increase pig quality). Right now, they have developed an important production, with modern piggeries, forage crops, and partnerships with local traders, which sustains more than thirty households. The group has now set a strategy to enhance the productivity of the value chain by (i) integrating a part of the processing at the village level; (ii) get an efficient technical advice to produce selected piglets; (iii) set national partnerships with traders and processors; (iv) launching a reflection about a market prospect. CDAIS project is able to turn these local willing and initiatives to a (women) farmers’ group ability to develop a new smallholders’ value chain on Lao pork meat. The government and banks have agreed to issue specific loans, provide modern housing, support forage production and assured markets through partnerships with local traders
Aim
To integrate village-level processing, improve production of quality piglets, improve national partnerships with traders and processors, and to reflect on market prospects.
Location
Vientiane province, Xanakham district, Don kha village
National Innovation Facilitator
Khamla Sengphaxayalath
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