Rice single sapling plantation promoted

(KPL) The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry organised a meeting on how to best promote the rice single sapling plantation in Vientiane on March 4.

Chaired by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Ty Phommasak the meeting drew representatives from provinces countrywide.

The participants learned that the rice single sapling plantation is most suitable for plateau which is irrigated. They realised that this kind of plantation can produce high yield and spend less time and money because farmers need not spend much on buying rice species.

With the System of Rice Intensification also known as SRI, which is a technique of using fewer rice saplings in planting, farmers need to use only 6kg of rice species a hectare, which is only one tenth of the amount required for the farming by traditional methods.

SRI was introduced to Laos in 2007 and the number of farmers using this method continues to increase on an annual basis.

In 2009, farmers planted rice by the SRI technique on over 2,550 ha in rainy season and about 3,600 ha in dry season.

The rice plantation by the SRI technique is very significant in the northern provinces of Luang Prabang, Sayaboury and Houaphanh.

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