Lao Extension for Agriculture Project ( LEAP )
Laos is a nation of small farmers with 74% of the workforce employed in the agriculture sector. LEAP was designed to address the low levels of productivity and profitability for the farmers and focused on the weak capacity of extension services. After 11 years of successful work in strengthening the national extension system and moving ahead to open it to other service providers, LEAP will close its operations after a 14 months final phase, mostly dedicated to handover and capitalization activities.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Laos |
Agriculture & food security
Agricultural development
Agricultural policy Agriculture value-chain development (til 2016) |
01.12.2012
- 31.12.2014 |
CHF 1’452’000
|
- Outcome 1: Existing farmer groups have the competencies and organizational skills to sustain their operations.
- Outcome 2: the transition from NAFES to DAEC is carried out in a way that DAEC is capable to fulfill its mandate and further improve the service to smallholder farmers.
- Outcome 3: The achievements and lessons from 12 years of LEAP implementation are shared, and provide relevant inputs to sector policy dialogue.
- development of LEA+ (strengthening farmers’ organizations, facilitate market linkages, promote the role of women, intensify collaboration with NPAs);
- 15’000 households have improved their production capacities, with a sustained financial benefit (cumulated for the 4 years) per household of US$ 900
- NAFES strategy (2011 to 2020); 6 studies related to small-scale farmers conditions in accessing commercial agriculture
- HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation AGRICULTURE
AGRICULTURE
OTHER MULTISECTOR
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Agricultural development
Agricultural policy and administrative management
Rural development
Cross-cutting topics The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
Finance type Aid grant
Aid Type Project and programme contribution
Tied/untied aid Untied aid
Project number 7F01711
| Background |
Small-scale agriculture has always been of central importance to food security in Laos. There have been impressive improvements in production over the past two decades. Thanks to infrastructure improvements and markets development, smallholder farmers are in contact with a much wider range of service providers. Farmers can now get information from a growing number of traders and media. Meanwhile, farmer organisations are starting to emerge with the ability to provide basic processing and marketing services to member. Consequently, the role of government extension workers needs to change over the next decade. |
| Objectives |
To contribute to a high level of food security, reduced poverty in rural areas, inclusive economic growth, better productivity and profitability of agriculture/forestry through effective extension services Project objective: to contribute to the development of a decentralized, participatory, pluralistic and sustainable agriculture extension system that is capable of benefiting poorer households and communities, and reaches male and female farmers equally |
| Target groups |
Women and men of 150’000 rural households (env. 900’000 people) living in condition of poverty are the intended clients of public agricultural extension service. The emerging farmer organisations to which these hh belong are specifically targeted by this final phase of LEAP. |
| Medium-term outcomes |
|
| Results |
Results from previous phases:
|
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Credit area |
Development cooperation |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Swiss Non-profit Organisation |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 1’452’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 967’150 |
| Project phases |
Phase 5 01.12.2012 - 31.12.2014 (Completed) |
