The government is supporting the commercial crop production drive to meet the local consumption needs and to reduce imports. Officials in Dongthada village are enthusiastically supporting villagers to grow commercial crops for sale. The head of Agriculture and Forestry office of Atsaphon district, Mr Syvilay Sythammavong, said that Atsaphon district has a stream and an irrigation system and therefore it is convenient for it to grow commercial crops in both dry and rainy seasons. He said 161 families have been growing a variety of crops for many years, including sweetcorn, cucumber, watermelon, beans and assorted vegetables. Setting up an agricultural production group in Dongthada village has helped villagers grow a variety of crops, including corn, sugarcane, watermelon, beans, cucumber, chilli, eggplant and vegetables, Mr Sivilay said. He said district officials will not support the growth of dry season rice but will encourage it to grow commercial crops instead. This will help villagers earn more and alleviate poverty.
Information source: Vientiane Times.
