The Centre is continuing to use new techniques to produce quality seeds that will help vegetable growers cope with climate change as drought and floods challenge the country.\u00a0 According to agricultural experts, Laos is suffering a farming production short-fall this year due to weather extremes with a prolonged dry season, disease out-breaks, and flooding.\u00a0 This will affect commercial yields targeted under the government\u2019s agriculture production strategy, the nation\u2019s food security policy and the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal by 2030.\u00a0However, in response to extreme weather conditions, Horticulture Research Centre staff are researching new techniques that will enable vegetable growers to boost yields in both the wet and dry seasons and during higher temperatures.\u00a0The Centre has continued to support farmers by producing seeds which are capable of coping with climate change.\u00a0It has trialled nine vegetable seed varieties which are climate-resilient in preparation for distribution to farmers across the country.\u00a0The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported in its recent strategy that the Department of Agriculture is focusing its efforts on helping farmers adapt to the changing weather.\u00a0For example, it is putting a great deal of time and energy into improving the efficiency and output of various rice varieties.\u00a0Testing programmes are being run on farmers\u2019 properties in the hope that new rice types can be developed that will grow in warmer, more variable conditions.\u00a0NAFRI has also set up a rice breeding programme aimed at developing new climate-resilient rice varieties. This programme breeds rice varieties that have submergence tolerance and drought tolerance.\u00a0The initiative is also exploring grains that have different aerobic qualities, direct seeding processes and species that are shatter-resistant when harvested using large mechanical equipment.<\/p>\n