Vientiane: The Lao government has set an ambitious target to achieve 4.3 percent agricultural growth by 2025, aiming to boost the sector’s contribution to 22.4 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). This initiative underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing the agricultural sector, which plays a crucial role in the country’s economy.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has laid out a comprehensive plan to meet these targets, which includes the production of 3.9 million tons of rice. This rice production will primarily be concentrated in 10 target provinces, as highlighted in the ministry’s report released on Wednesday. Alongside rice, the ministry will promote the cultivation of other crops on 279,680 hectares of land, with an anticipated yield of 2.46 million tons.
In a bid to improve nutrition and food security, the ministry has set a production goal of 577,000 tons of meat, eggs, and fish. This target aims to provide an estimated 73 kilograms of these products per person each year, thus enhancing dietary standards across the country.
Furthermore, the Lao government has outlined plans to allocate 4.5 million hectares of land for farming, which will constitute 19 percent of the country’s total land area. This strategic move is intended to optimize land use for agricultural purposes and support the projected growth in the sector.
