Chinese company ink deal on irrigation project in Laos
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VIENTIANE - The Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has authorised a Chinese company to conduct a feasibility study of the Namsan agriculture irrigation project in Borikhamxay province.
A memorandum of agreement for the project was signed on Friday between the Head of the Department of Irrigation, Maikong Phonephommavong, and General Manager of the China National Technical Import and Export Corporation, Zhang Yuyin.
The feasibility study will be financed by the Chakkhaphong Industry Wood Processing Factory and the China National Technical Import and Export Corporation, and will take eight months to complete.
If approved, the project will see the installation of more than 50 water pumping stations. These would deliver water to 5,000 hectares in the wet season and 6,000 hectares in the dry season.
“Borikhamxay plateau is one of the seven largest plateaus in Laos. It is an important location for a national food security project and other agricultural projects until 2025,” Maikong said.
The government intends to invest in irrigation system development in Borikhamxay province to help farmers produce greater yields. This would also enable them to earn a sustainable income each year.
Maikong said Borikhamxay covers a large area and requires a huge amount of water to meet farmers’ needs. But at present irrigation systems only reach 20 per cent of the land.
The Department of Irrigation is therefore partnering with the China National Technical Import and Export Corporation on the feasibility study with the aim of increasing sources of irrigation development to supply water to farmers in Borikhan, Pakxan and Pakkading districts.
Zhang Yuyin said he believes that if the Namsan agriculture irrigation project can be realised, it will create more job opportunities for people in the area as well as more income. It would also replace the current water flow system and cut farmers’ electricity costs.
He said the project would inevitably encounter obstacles which would require a large number of experienced personnel, an extensive period of time and a large amount of investment. But the project would certainly benefit local farmers and result in higher crop yields.
