Open defecation still of great concern in Laos
Sixty two percent of people in Phongsaly province continue to practice open defecation which is higher than the national-level average rate of 40 percent. “Even where you are improving dietary intake and you have more diversified crops, where there is still open defecation, it has ...
Lao researchers seeking to introduce faster growing rice varieties
The Naphok Agricultural Research Centre is seeking to produce early maturing varieties of rice seed for Lao farmers to plant in the coming years, as part of efforts to reduce the disaster related impacts of climate change. Researchers at the centre are currently conducting ongoing research into ...
Rubber oversupply causes price slump in Laos
As rubber plantations mature and the trees are ready to be tapped, Lao growers stand to face a substantial loss amid a slump in the rubber price on the world market. A respected Lao researcher says poor assessment of the market prior to planting the trees ...
China and Laos say their rail project is on track
China and Laos are both committed to a high-speed rail project linking the Chinese southwestern city of Kunming with the Lao capital of Vientiane, officials from both countries said, and the project will go ahead despite delays. The line should eventually stretch through Thailand and Malaysia ...
Laos to plough on with third Mekong dam project
Laos is pushing ahead with a hydropower project on the Mekong River, despite reservations aired by neighbouring countries over its potential to harm fisheries and farming downstream, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) said on Wednesday. The 1,400-megawatt (MW) Luang Prabang project will be Laos’s third and ...
Lao election candidate numbers announced
The total number of candidates standing to be potential members of Laos’ National Assembly (NA) and Provincial/capital Assemblies (PAs) has been announced for the March 20 election. But a list of their names has yet to be declared with all details of candidates for the NA and ...
Japan provides grant for bridge reconstruction
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided a grant of over 4.6 billion kip (70 million Japanese yen) for the detailed design component of the reconstruction of two bridges on National Road No. 9. The project will be carried out under a cooperation agreement between JICA ...
Agriculture experts review northern uplands development
Agricultural experts met in Vientiane to review the Northern Uplands Development Programme for 2014-15 and discuss the plans for 2015-16. Participants reported on progress and noted the content of future plans comprising the systematic registration of land, legal awareness creation, local governance and planning, and facilitating ...
New IT system will accelerate registration and licence issuing in Laos
A new information technology (IT) system to be introduced this year will quicken the issuance of registration documents for new vehicles and driving licences in Laos, according to a report. The Transport Department under the Ministry of Public Works and Transport admitted the issuance of these ...
Low yields sour Savannakhet sugarcane farmers' prospects
Some individual sugarcane growers in Savannakhet province now owe the milling company as much as 174 million kip following their poor harvests, it was recently revealed. According to a workshop on reducing debt risks for farmers in Vientiane, some families in Savannakhet’s Xaybouly district are in ...
Pig farmers in Laos face debt and bankruptcy due to falling pork prices
A Lao government program that provided loans to farmers to raise pigs in the run-up to the Southeast Asian Games held in the country seven years ago has bankrupted several farmers who have become mired in debt as pork prices have fallen, pushing a few ...
One thousand prisoners released on Laos' anniversary year
Over 1,000 prisoners were released nationwide this year, according to Laos’ Ministry of Public Security on 2 December. Officials from the Prison and Rehabilitation Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security reported to Vientiane Times that across the country they released about 1,029 prisoners, including 232 ...
Party advises Youth Union on its political role
The Party Central Committee has called on the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union’s (Youth Union) committees at all levels to uphold their political responsibilities and actively implement the Party’s directives, to ensure today’s youth develop strong political attributes. Member of the Politburo and Party Central Committee ...
Waste banana bunch covers entering Nam Ou River, Laos
Provincial authorities in Phongsaly, Laos, are cautioning banana growers along the Nam Ou River in an attempt to stop them illegally discarding disused plastic banana bunch covers. Director of the provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department, Mr Khamchanh Sitthilath told Vientiane Times on 14 July that many ...
Meeting strengthens Asean regulations on clean agriculture
ASEAN agriculture officials spent two days from July 21-22 at the 23rd meeting of the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops in Vientiane to discuss agricultural regulation improvements and will focus on the supply of high-quality and safe food which meets international standards. “The Agriculture Department of the ...
Lao Prime Minister meets US President at ASEAN summit
Lao Prime Minister Mr Thongsing Thammavong met US President Barack Obama in Kuala Lumpur on 21 November to discuss the expanding relationship between the two nations. During the meeting PM Thongsing Thammavong highlighted the growing partnership between the US and Laos in the health and UXO clearance ...
Kuwait proposes Laos visa exemption
The Lao and Kuwaiti governments should offer visa exemptions for their citizens as part of efforts to boost the exchange of tourism and trade between the two nations, according to the Kuwaiti ambassador to Laos, Mr Nabeel Aldaheel. The ambassador announced his government’s proposal to the ...
First bird flu outbreak this year confirmed in Laos
The first avian flu outbreak this year in Laos was reported in ducks and chickens in a farm located in Xayabury. Keep reading ...
Laos to negotiate sale of electricity to neighbours
With Laos’ electricity generation set to reach 10,000MW by 2020, the country is continuing to negotiate with neighbouring countries to increase the volume of electricity exports. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines on 15 July, Laos will hold talks with Myanmar on electricity cooperation ...
Laos, China and Vietnam join to combat wildlife trafficking
Frontline enforcement officers last from key provinces, ports and border posts in Laos, China and Vietnam completed an inter-agency field mission this week to share experiences, approaches and update the situation on wildlife smuggling networks along the major trade routes between China, Vietnam and Laos. Keep ...
