Dr Bounpheng Sibounheuang (right) presents the certificate for the project to Mr Bounlert Louangpaseuth during the ceremony for the handing over of the plant house in Vientiane.

Agriculture demonstration garden to promote SMEs

The agriculture alliance demonstration garden #2 of the Agri-Laos Co., Ltd. in Vientiane will be a model centre for learning and knowledge exchange on agricultural products for students, entrepreneurs and other producers.
The Director General of the Department of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dr Bounpheng Sibounheung, handed over 11 greenhouses to the Director of Agri-Laos, Mr Bounlert Louangpaseuth, on Monday.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Bountheung Douangsavanh, representatives of the business sector, government officials and farmers.
The garden will help to reduce the capital needed to produce agricultural products and strengthen the hands of farmers and agricultural producers to improve the quality of their crops and vegetables and bring them in line with standards for clean products and safety.
The promotion of the plant houses is part of the Special Account for Business Recovery and Resilience of the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO). 
Laos has received US$130,000 from APO, of which US$90,000 is being provided to small and medium agricultural producer groups (vegetables grower groups working on a commercial basis in the six provinces of Oudomxay, Vientiane, Xaysomboun, Borikhamxay, Saravan and Xekong) and US$40,000 to Agri-Laos.
The project proposal was agreed on through consultations with the APO expert team and target groups were selected by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in each province at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. 
The project is a part of efforts to help agricultural producers in Laos shift from traditional methods to new techniques that ensure good quality and safety.
Currently, the requirement of clean and organic vegetables is higher and production cannot meet the demands of the market.
The government believes the project will help promote clean and organic crops and enable vegetable producers in Laos to boost production in order to ensure food security and reduce imports and high payments.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update August 31, 2022)