Korea to provide millions of dollars for rural development in southern Laos

Funding support totaling about US$9.4 million from the Republic of Korea will be used to improve the living environment of rural people in three provinces of southern Laos, aiming to narrow the development gap between rural and urban populations.
The project is targeting in 20 selected pilot villages in Champassak, Saravan and Xekong provinces through five subprojects aimed at improving farmers’ incomes and six subprojects to improve the standard of living in the target villages.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on  May 24 held a ceremony to officially launch the project in Paksong district, Champasak province.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Mr Kikeo Singnavong said the project to spur rural development is a blend of working plans between the five-subprojects and the six-subprojects, supported by about US$9.4 million in development funding from the government of the Republic of Korea.
The government of the Republic of Korea has agreed to continue to provide development funding following the success of two similar projects in Vientiane and Savannakhet provinces from 2014-2020, which benefited local people by improving their standard of living.
Country Director of the KOICA Office in Laos, Ms Myung-Jin Kim, said the project was a follow up to the previous projects, which had been successfully implemented. The current project would use community-based development methods implemented through Village Development Committees.
“KOICA will also provide funding of US$3.3 million direct to these committees’ bank accounts for the implementation of development activities in the 20 pilot villages,” she said.
Representative official from the Korea Institute for Rural Development (President Dr Chung Ki Whan) also speaking at the project launch ceremony that the subprojects would be implemented through six pilot projects including the construction of 18 village halls, improving 17 village routes, improving the water supply system in three irrigation schemes, installation of four clean water systems, and the construction of nine village markets and 20 waste treatment facilities.
The Institute said their specialised committees would work closely with rural people in the development of livestock and crop farms.
Goals would include an increase in the daily weight gain of cattle from 0.2kg to 0.3kg, construction of 323 rainproof greenhouses for 160 farmers so they could grow vegetables throughout the year, assisting 190 farmers to set up 204 hectares of commercial fruit farms, and the establishment of three coffee cultivation model farms to introduce standard coffee cultivation technologies to improve coffee productivity and quality with the aim of generating more income.
The Institute will also support two vegetable cultivation cooperatives and Agricultural Processing Centres to reduce marketing costs and produce high quality vegetables for sale to consumers.
Three coffee cooperatives will be set up to process coffee and develop brand and cooperative marketing. These cooperatives will also run a coffee-experiencing café to increase income by selling coffee directly to consumers. 
The Institute will also assist four rural tourism villages to boost tourism income of the village by constructing paths and parking lots, and planting flowers and trees to make these areas more attractive to tourists.
The Institute will provide training at various levels as required.
In the 20 pilot villages, training will be given to 11,000 farmers to support five income generation pilot projects, 3,600 farmers will learn about advanced farming technologies, and 320 village leaders and district government officials will learn about integrated rural development and participatory rural development approach.
Additionally, the Institute will invite 55 government officials and village leaders to Korea to study Korean rural development policies and policy programs.  
KOICA is also supporting the Lao government to establish the Southern Agricultural Training Center (ATC), which is set to open next month.  

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update May 29, 2023)