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PROJECT “NETWORK FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
THINK-TAKS FOR COUNTRIES IN MEKONG-SUB REGION” (NARDT)

In terms of seeds, Lao PDR and Cambodia have been facing the constraint of
seed availability which directly impacts rice production efficiency. During the period
of 5 years from 2009 to 2014, Viet Nam developed new 34 seed varieties while this
number was recorded to be low in Cambodia (3) and Thailand (18). The reason is
that while Viet Nam has focused on in improving productivity through research and
development on creating new varieties, the remaining countries often use traditional
rice varieties. Besides, demand in Viet Nam and Thailand is fully met by the supply due
to the strong network of distributors while only 10% of farmers in Lao and Cambodia
can quickly access the seed source and receive the necessary quantity. While most of
the farmers in Cambodia and Lao PDR collect and retain their own seeds for the next
seasons, which may reduce crop efficiency due to the lack of quality control. For the
next period, besides improving the availability of variety supply in terms of quantity,
seed quality also needs to be improved to adapt to climate and environmental
changes.

The agricultural mechanization of rice production in Viet Nam and Thailand
has seen a higher superior development in comparison with Lao PDR and Cambodia,
which partially explains the differences in productivity among countries. According
to the statistics of the World Bank (2016), it is estimated that almost all farmers in
Viet Nam and Thailand use machines for land preparation and harvesting stages while
more than 20% of Lao PDR and Cambodian farmers still depend on oxen and human
power for these stages. This high mechanization of Viet Nam and Thailand raises the
efficiency of labor and enhances the production of each farming household. Besides,
it also increases the rapidity and speed of work in farming practices. Moreover, the
mechanization of agriculture results in higher availability of human resources for non-
agriculture purposes due to the employment of a smaller number of workers in farm
production.

In terms of input quality, particularly variety, fertilizer, and pesticide, a lot
of obstacles must be overcome in order to boost rice productivity and quality in
Lao PDR and Cambodia. Rice farmers in Lao PDR are facing problems of impure and
mixed seed due to improper monitoring. Besides, the undeveloped research work in
terms of variety leads to the shortage of site-specific varieties and varieties which has
resistance to pests and diseases. Lao PDR ’ farmers thought that these shortcomings
were reasons for low productivity in the farming area. In the case of Cambodia, the
low quality coupled with the irregular renewal of varieties are regarded as constraints
to rice production since farmers tend to use seeds with low quality until the collectors
demand high-quality products at higher prices. Besides, farmers are unsatisfied with
the quality of fertilizers sold in the market, which is claimed as one of the main factors
affecting crop yield and resulting in financial loss.

The differences in the development of irrigation systems resulted in the
diversification of rice crops among the countries. With public investment in irrigation
infrastructure, full-scale irrigated systems with the development of flood control
and irrigation infrastructure have developed in Viet Nam which enables farmers to
produce double and triple rice crops per year. Meanwhile, pump-irrigation schemes in
Lao PDR have not resulted in the intended expansion of dry-season rice production
due to the shortage of water resources for farming production.

In terms of input supply, Viet Nam and Thailand are the two main fertilizer
providers for Lao PDR farmers. Vietnamese fertilizers are provided through 2 main

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