Publications

The Enhancing Milled Rice Production in Lao PDR Project (EMRIP) was jointly funded by the Food Facility of the European Union (90%) under its ‘facility for rapid response to soaring food prices in developing countries (2009) and Helvetas/SNV (10%). EMRIP built on the experiences of earlier work of SNV’s Rice Value Chain programme, and Helvetas’ Organic rice (PRORICE) programme It expanded to work in 6 provinces, and introduced additional elements notably; upgrading mills through grants of equipment, and policy dialogue to address bottlenecks in rice trade system in Lao PDR. The overall project budget was €2,348,124 over a relatively short implementation period of 23 months. The key implementation partners were the two NGOs; Helvetas and SNV with the national partner; Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This final evaluation was carried out by an external consultant with substantial experience in the agriculture sector development in Lao PDR.

This practice brief explores women and gender issues in SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s support to agricultural value chains in Africa and Asia. Across the two regions there are wide disparities in women’s access to and control over productive resources, service delivery and market opportunities. Drawing on a wide variety of case studies, the Brief describes various ways in which the underlying gender constraints are identified and addressed, through an explicit focus on women’s economic and social empowerment.

La présente note thématique porte sur les questions relatives aux femmes et à l’équité du genre du genre dans l’appui apporté par la SNV -Organisation Néerlandaise de Développement-, aux chaînes de valeur agricoles en Afrique et en Asie. Il existe à travers ces deux régions d’importantes disparités en matière d’accès des femmes aux ressources et aux moyens  de production, aux services ainsi que de leur contrôle et aux possibilités d’accès aux marchés. Se fondant sur une large gamme d’études de cas, cette note décrit différentes façons dont les contraintes de genre sous-jacentes sont identifiées et abordées, en mettant explicitement l’accent sur l’autonomisation économique et l’inclusion  sociale des femmes...

Rice is the most important staple food in Lao PDR, and is produced in almost all regions of the country. In the past, improved rice production has been a key development task in the support provided to Lao PDR. While there has been a large increase in paddy rice production, less attention has been paid to improving the efficiency of handling and milling. This case highlights the ‘Enhanced Milling Rice Production in Lao PDR’ project (EMRIP) which is designed to address these issues. EMRIP recognizes that the private and public sector both have important roles to play in developing the country’s rice sector. Local rice mills offer the highest leverage in the rice value chain, which is why the project worked with (progressive and socially committed) millers who have strong and mutually respectful relationships with smallholder rice farmers.

SNV Lao PDR, in partnership with a wide range of local and international partners, has been working since 2008 on the development of the bamboo value chain in Houaphanh Province and Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital. In 2010, the SNV Bamboo Programme was scaled up to Luang Prabang and Vientiane Provinces. Since then a diverse range of activities have been implemented.

Since 2008, various efforts have been made to document lessons learnt and case studies. A range of presentations and publications has been developed by the Bamboo Advisory Team. However, documentation of experiences and results has not been carried out in a systematic manner. The present document aims to organise and structure the lessons learnt from the Bamboo Programme to make them available to a larger audience.

This document is based on a review of the main existing literature on the SNV Bamboo Programme and on the bamboo sector in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Primary data has also been collected to document additional case studies. Qualitative interviews with producers, traders, government representatives and partners have been conducted in Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital; Med and Xanakham Districts, Vientiane Province; and in Viengxay and Xam Neua Districts, Houaphanh Province.

The Enhancing Milled Rice Production in Lao PDR (EMRIP) Project has been able to develop fair trading relations between 21,361 small holder rice producing households and 21 selected rice mills within 23 months of the project’s duration. The project proved a unique success due to the stimulation of co-operation between millers and farmers; millers supported farmers with inputs, extension services and better prices. In return for investing their time and money in small farmers, millers received project support, funded by SNV, Helvetas and an EU grant, to improve milling facilities and equipment. At the base of the success of the project lies a rigorous selection process which chose the most promising millers for the project. Farmer crop yields increased by 30%; income from rice increased by around 60% and millers saw improved profitability in addition to a 10 percent increase in throughputs and supply of high quality, single variety rice. Elements of the programme are now spreading (including spontaneously), especially through “miller groups”.

Brochure of the Sustainable Silk Production Partnership Project in Rural Lao PDR