Farmers in Xayaboury province plant rice seedlings.

How should farmers prepare for wet season cultivation?

The rainy season has begun and farmers nationwide are getting their crops in the ground. Farming is the main source of income for the country and the people. Most crops are grown in the rainy season and every year the authorities encourage people to be ready to start planting. Vientiane Times asked for opinions on how farmers should best prepare themselves for this annual activity.
Mr Bounthien Keosangvan, a resident of Xaysettha district, Vientiane: I think farmers should be prepared, especially as farming is weather dependent. In many places there is no irrigation system and people are totally dependent on rainfall, which is risky because their crops may suffer from a lack of water. Farmers should be prepared for all eventualities and be ready to protect their crops throughout the growing season. In the past, crops yields have suffered because of vagaries in the weather, pest infestations, and crop diseases. If people don’t have a good system in place, they may not get the yields they hoped for. Of course, farming authorities should do what they can to help farmers as much as possible so that their crops don’t suffer.
 
Mr Xan, a resident of Hadxiafong district, Vientiane: We’re well into the rainy season now and people around the country are beginning to plant their crops. As we are well aware, farm produce is very important for everyone because we all depend on it for our own survival, as well as it being a source of income for many people. Now is the time to plant and everyone should have their land and seeds prepared. To ensure better yields, people should modernise their production methods so that they’re more efficient and intensive. In addition, it’s important to be prepared to prevent pest infestations because in previous years these have caused extensive damage by ravaging large swathes of crops.
 
Mr Somphan, a resident of Vientiane province: People in my village rely on farming for their own food and as a source of income. In the rainy season we grow rice, cassava, chilli, eggplant and other crops. We’re now ready to plant and have got our rice seedlings in the ground. We have to wait for the rain to arrive before we can do this because we haven’t got a big irrigation channel, just some small irrigation dams. Of course, it’s very difficult for us when there’s no rain for a long time, and then we have to seek help from the authorities. I hope we don’t have any problems this year and that we get good yields. I’d like the authorities to do more to help farmers and to be on the alert for possible problems that may affect our crops.
 
Ms Vone Sipaxay, a resident of Xayaboury province: I live in a rural area where people enjoy planting their rainy season crops. We have begun this and we are very happy with our work. The authorities always encourage us to grow crops such as sweetcorn, Job’s tear, fruit and beans, and every year some people are able to plant on more land and so get bigger yields. The authorities assist us in many ways if we run into problems. We grow rice to eat and other crops to sell. Unfortunately, there isn’t any irrigation here so our success depends on the amount of rainfall we get. Some years the rain comes regularly and we get a good output, but in years when rainfall is sporadic or late, our crops are affected and our yields are smaller. I think the authorities should pay more attention to irrigation and help us to build more irrigation dams and channels. And of course all farmers should know how to protect their crops and prevent any problems that may arise because of flooding or prolonged water shortages.

By Visith Teppalath
(Latest Update May 30, 2022)