Mr Daovone Phachanthavong (forth left) and Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Mr Phosy Keomanivong (first right) plant a sapling.

Mr Daovone Phachanthavong.

Life is planting trees to bring happiness

Agriculture is the ultimate source of happiness for Vientiane businessman Mr Daovone Phachanthavong, who likes to plant trees, raise poultry, and farm fish. He particularly enjoys it when he earns money from selling rubber and sees ducks swimming in his ponds or chickens walking around his garden.
His smallholding is called Daovone Garden and is located in Sangthong district, about 60km from the centre of Vientiane.
Mr Daovone, who is Executive Vice President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, bought 10 hectares at the site in 2014 for about US$300,000. But soon afterwards he bought more land and the plot grew to 20 hectares in size.
In 2018, he planted trees known as mai tiew in Lao (Cratoxylum formosum), with the aim of producing white charcoal which he sells to Japan. On National Arbor Day in 2019, members of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry planted more of these trees.
In 2020, staff from Sacombank and members of the Lao Journalists’ Association planted other kinds of saplings, which quickly grew larger. But no planting took place in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Last year, more planting was done by the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with the Lao Journalists’ Association, supported by Sacombank, Lao Brewery Company Ltd. and VietinBank, with the aim of creating more greenery.
Mr Daovone told those who came to plant trees that he had divided his garden into three areas – commercial species, general agriculture, and three long-term farming plots for his grandchildren.

This year, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Mr Phosy Keomanivong attended another event at the Daovone Garden to mark National Arbor Day on June 1, together with more than 80 members of the Lao Journalists’ Association, the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sacombank, the Vientiane Times, Lao National Television and former diplomats, who planted trees in a section of the 20-hectare plot.

“This year, I’ve organised a large and special planting event to mark National Arbor Day, because next year it

will be smaller. This is because my wife has told me to stop investing because I’m getting old,” Mr Daovone said.
“This year is also special as there are 70 young trees and trees that are 7 or 8 years old planted in a section of the 20-hectare plot. Each tree costs one million kip but fortunately they don’t need much care,” he said with a smile.
In 2020, Sacombank donated 7 million kip, and this year provided more than 20 million kip so that more trees species could be planted in the garden.

Planting trees is not just a business venture. Mr Daovone created the site as a place where people can get out of the city and go for picnics on weekends.
“We are part of the private sector that is implementing the government’s policy to create more green spaces in Laos to slow climate change,” he said.
Laos’ forests are home to large tree species although these are in decline because of the encroachment of infrastructure required for the country’s economic development.

Mr Daovone observed that Laos’ forests currently cover an area of about 9.5 million hectares, but this is set to increase to 16.5 million hectares by 2030.
This ambitious goal is part of efforts to increase forest cover to 70 percent of the country’s total land area.
Government leaders and members of various organisations across the country turned out in force to plant nearly 3.4 million saplings on 3,480 hectares of land to mark National Arbor Day on June 1 this year. Trees will be planted on about 8,535 hectares in protected forest areas.
In addition, trees will be planted on 535 hectares around infrastructure projects, industrial trees will be planted on 29,565 hectares of land, and other trees will be planted on 3,900 hectares of land owned by individuals, organisations and businesses.

By Advertorial Desk
 (Latest Update June 6, 2023)