1. SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 SWG-ARD Meeting September 30, 2014 Secretariat’s presentation

2. Content SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014  Annual report – highlights  2015 draft work plan  Update on the status of policies relevant to the sector  Other announcements / communications relevant to the sector

3. Annual report (1) SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 1) Purpose, objective  To report on the SWG-ARD activities and achievements in 2014  To contribute to the RTIM background document preparation 2) References and sources of information  Reports: SSWG (Upland, Agribusiness, Agro biodiversity) and Policy Think Tank  MAF annual reports (DoPC, Divisions of International cooperation, planning, Investment and Cooperation with Vietnam and China)  SWG-ARD members’ reports, documents and comments  Government policies and resolutions  Other SWG and SSWG data and reports 3) Limit: It is a “Sector Working Group Report” not a “Sector Review” * The full report draft is posted on the SWG-ARD website (http://swgard.maf.gov.la) for comments during one week, please send you comments to the secretariat: swgard.secretariat@gmail.comhttp://swgard.maf.gov.laswgard.secretariat@gmail.com

4. Annual report (2) 1) Update on ODA ( source MAF Data base ) There are currently 74 ODA projects implemented by 42 organizations / agencies registered by the MAF, representing a total investment of 442 Million USD. (nb: This figure is all years included, including Technical Assistance, support costs and considering important projects ending this year) Cooperation in the ARD sector (ODA)Nb of registered projectsTotal amount USD Bilateral1985 992 392 International Financial Institutions13297 574 685 INGOs3026 341 332 International Org. / Multilateral1232 101 968

5. Annual report (3) SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 2) Agricultural Investment  620 companies registered  Total budget of app. 2.3 billion USD  Domestic investment: 8%  Foreign investment: 92% (China + Vietnam = 41% of total investment) 3) Public Investment Projects  The GoL invested in 173 projects equivalent to 12.5M USD (MAF infrastructures, capacity development, extension, forest resource and environment, irrigation)  65% of the spending was dedicated to irrigation schemes building and / or rehabilitation

6. Annual report (4) SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 Main topics covered in 2014 by the SSWGs 1) SSWG Uplands a)UDS Action plan and Investment Plan b)Policy research (13 research studies were approved / on-going) c)Various coordination events (central and provincial) and capacity development 2) SSWG Agribusiness a)Support the development of Farmers’ Organization (FO) b)Capitalization on farmers & agribusiness (PPP, support to farmers’ organization) c)Family farming d)Information sharing and communication on the sub sector 3) SSWG Agro biodiversity a)Status of Lao rice genetic resource maintenance b)Potential, constraints and solutions to develop forest rattan for export markets c)Indigenous, forest-based, medicinal plants harvested for both domestic use and export market

7. Annual report (5) SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 Main topics covered in 2014 by the Policy Think Tank / PRC  14 On-going researches NoRelevant research/studyStartEnd 1 Contract farming Oct-14 Oct-15 2 Study on commercial soybean product to food & nutrition security in northern uplandMay-14Mar-15 3 Electric, gasoline, etc) for Agriculture Product in Lao PDRMay-14Mar-15 4 Study on Youth in Agricultural productMay-14Mar-15 5 Pro poor policy analysis on cattle productivity and links to industrysept-14Mar-15 6 Pro poor policy analysis on organic vegetable marketing, production and technology development and increased income for smallholdersnov-14jun-15 7 Creating wetland in resevor20142016 8 Mechanization and value adding for diversification of lowland cropping systems in Lao PDR and Cambodia Aug-14 Aug-16 9National Research Project: No.5: Agriculture & Rural Developmet2013 Dec-15 10Study of economic viability of maize production for livestock feeding in Lao PDR Oct-14 Oct-15 11Water governance (gender & ethnique diversity)20142015 12Assessment of cattle trade development in Lao PDRsept-14 Jul-15 13 Assessments of Enterprises in Lao PDR on the Effectiveness of Preferential Trade Utilizationsept-14 Sep-15 14Rice value chain financing in Lao PDRmai-14nov-15

8. Annual report (6) SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 Main topics to be covered in 2015 by the SSWGs 1) SSWG Uplands a)Finalize and submit UDS Action plan and Investment Plan b)Conduct research on agricultural policies and promote policy dialogue c)Improve coordination (central and provincial) and capacity development 2) SSWG Agribusiness a)Promote the development of autonomous, self-directed and voluntary FO b)Summarize existing experiences and lessons learned in supporting the development of FO and agribusiness in Laos c)Celebrate the International Years of Soils (IYS) – Event led by the FAO d)Support rural development in Lao PDR by providing decision-makers with better access to information, analysis and stimulate critical discussions 3) SSWG Agro biodiversity a)To be discussed during the next meeting 4) Policy Research Center, Policy Think Tank a)Conduct on-going and planned policy researches b)Implement the Capacity Development Plan (details in full report)

9. Update on the status of policies, strategies, law discussed at SWG level SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 Policy / Strategy / LawStatus in Sept 2014Next Step Agricultural Development Strategy to 2025 / Vision to 2030 (ADS2025) Submitted and endorsed in principle during a Government meeting Being updated and edited according to the latest GoL recommendations Make / Sign a PM decree and implement Upland Development Strategy Endorsed by SWG-ARD, Being “packaged” & translated into Lao for official submission Submission to MAF for consideration DAEC Strategy Submitted to the MAF, Passed through Science and technology committee Submission to / endorsement by MAF Minister Coffee strategyApproved by the Government, Being disseminatedTranslation into English Law on irrigationApproved by NA, Being disseminatedTranslation into English Natural Resources & EnvironmentConsultation processSubmission to Government Policy related to the Rice Production Program for food sec. Submitted and endorsed in principle during a Government meeting (in Sept 2014) Being updated and edited according to the latest GoL recommendations Make / Sign a PM decree and implement Policy related to Livestock Product° Program for commercialization Make / Sign a PM decree and implement Fishery StrategyA draft was producedSubmission to MAF Land use policy Ongoing discussions under MONRE Not yet approved by NA Law on Forestry A team was formed to revise / update the forest law and discussions happened (under MONRE / SWG-NRE) Submission to GoL then NA

10. Info / communication SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014 1) Research week for development – French Institute, 13-15 October 2014  Overall objective: Fuelling the discussion on the development of Laos and of the sub-region, helping the public actors in the decision-making process and attracting the young Laotian students towards the world of research  Co-organized by the French Embassy and the Ministry of Science and Technology on the 13-15 October 2015: http://www.if-laos.org/http://www.if-laos.org/  3 different cycles of conferences: economy, agriculture and health, including  Agro-ecology for family farming in Laos and in the sub-region  Conservation agriculture 2) World Food Day – Xieng Kuang, 16 October 2014  Thematic: « Family farming, Feeding the world, Caring for the earth »  Communication, exhibition and contest on the thematic of this year  Co organize by the FAO and MAF, in collaboration with other agencies 3) Lao Coffee festival in Pakse 24-25 October 2014

11. Thank you SWG-ARD, some contacts and relevant links (Sept 2014) Contacts Secretariat SWG-ARD:swgard.secretariat@gmail.comswgard.secretariat@gmail.com Secretariat SSWG Uplands:nudpnpco@gmail.comnudpnpco@gmail.com Secretariat SSWG Agri-Business: subswgab@gmail.comsubswgab@gmail.com Secretariat SSWG Agro biodiversity abd.sswg@gmail.comabd.sswg@gmail.com Coordinator Policy Think Tank:khamphou_p@hotmail.comkhamphou_p@hotmail.com MAF-DIC Mail:laomafdici@yahoo.comlaomafdici@yahoo.com Web sites SWG-ARD Web:http://swgard.maf.gov.lahttp://swgard.maf.gov.la Round Table Meeting: http://www.rtm.org.lahttp://www.rtm.org.la Ministry of Agriculture:http://www.maf.gov.lahttp://www.maf.gov.la NAFRIhttp://www.nafri.org.lahttp://www.nafri.org.la Agricultural and Forestry extension:http://www.laoex.orghttp://www.laoex.org NUDP Website: http://www.nudplao.orghttp://www.nudplao.org TABI:http://www.tabi.lahttp://www.tabi.la SWG-ARD / Vientiane / Sept 30, 2014