Cotton cultivation in Laos

Cotton cultivation

in Laos

Cotton cultivation has long

been established in Laos,

where it is based

on largely self-sufficient

cottage industries.

It is practiced in small

units nationwide

and is well integrated

in farming systems

that have rice

as the major crop.

The current

situation

C

o t t o n is m o s t c o m m o n l y f o u n d as an in t e r c r o p , w i t h s e v e r a l h u n d r e d s q u a r e metres o f c u ltiv a t io n b e in g s u ffic ie n t to satisfy th e w e a v i n g needs o f o n e h o u s e h o l d . L o c a l c o t t o n v a r i e t i e s y i e l d 2 0 0 - 8 0 0 kg o f s e e d c o tt o n /h a a n d h a v e g i n n i n g o u t t u r n s o f b e t w e e n 2 0 a n d 3 3 % . T h e s h o r t coarse fibres p ro vid e a rough-textured c lo th fo r e v e ry d a y use.

For the typical household, 60 to 80 kg o f seedcotton suffices. The surplus is e xch a n g e d in the v illa g e o r m a d e up into coarse c lo th o r n o n w o v e n th ic k blankets, w h i c h are sold at the local m a rk e t — o n e c o v e r requires 4 kg o f f i b r e a n d sells at t w i c e th e p r ic e o f t h e r a w m a t e r i a l . In n o r t h e a s t e r n Laos, such covers can be e x c hanged fo r m o u n t a in - b r e d pigs o r c h ic k e n s . T r a d i t i o n a l l y , g i n n i n g is p e r f o r m e d m a n u a lly w it h a sm all, w o o d e n , ro l­ le r - t y p e g in r e s e m b l i n g th e I n d i a n

charka. O n e to 2 kg o f fib re fo r spun

co tto n is the result o f o n e long d a y o f g in n in g ( 3 - 6 kg o f seedcotton).

Prabang p ro v in c e ); th e w e ll- d r a in e d f o o t h il ls o f M u a n g Fuang a n d V a n g V ie n g (V ien tia n e p ro v in c e ); th e deep a n d w e a k l y a c i d i c b l a c k c o l l u v i a l soils o f Paklay (S ayaboury p ro v in c e ); t h e c l e a r i n g s o f t h e p l a i n s o f V i e n t i a n e a n d S a v a n n a k h e t w h e r e th e so ils are s a n d y a n d a c i d i c (h a y soils); and the rich and d e e p e m b a n k ­ m e n t a ll u v iu m fo u n d in several p r o ­ v i n c e s ( V i e n t i a n e , S a v a n n a k h e t , C ham pasak, etc.).

F a rm e rs h a v e a d a p t e d th e f a r m i n g c y c le to rainfall c o n d itio n s . The rainy s eason (g ro s s o m o d o ) o c c u r s f r o m M a y t o O c t o b e r ( a n n u a l r a i n f a l l , 1 000-1 600 mm) (Figure 2). W h e r e rain is t o o a b u n d a n t d u r i n g th is p e r io d , p l a n t i n g is d e l a y e d . In t h e s o u t h , fa rm e rs s o w c o tt o n as an off-season f l o o d - p l a i n c r o p . F u r t h e r n o r t h G. TREBUIL APPA Division, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), PO Box 9 3 3 , 1099 Manila, Philippines

J.-C. CASTELLA ORSTOM-LEA, BP 5 0 4 5 , 3 4 0 3 2 Montpellier Cedex 1, France B. CHANTHARAT, S. THIRASACK Fibre Crops Division, National Agronomic

Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, Vientiane, Laos

A nationwide

activity

Despite th e great d iv e rs ity o f ecosys­ te m s , s m a l lh o l d e r s h a v e b e e n s u c ­ cessful in lo c a tin g th e c o n d itio n s best a d a p t e d t o c o t t o n ( F i g u r e 1 ): t h e steep slopes w it h s h a llo w soils fo u n d in t h e r e g i o n o f P a k O u ( L u a n g

Luang Prabang OVang Vieng lanakham Vientiane C H IN A

Crop rotations

In gardens n o t fa r fr o m fa rm h o u s e ­ hold s, sm a ll-s c a le c o tto n c u lt iv a t io n is p r a c t i c e d w i t h c o m p l e x c r o p LAOS V IE TNAM V Sayaboury THAILAND j]e Savannakhet Khanthabouli C U D Saravane 0

■Q

l

J '

® Pakse Champasak 100 km

Sowing peanut using dibbling sticks, Ban Haï.

Photo: G . Trébull

C A M B O D IA

--

International boundary --- Provincial boundary • M ajor town of the district

o

M ajor town of the province VIENTIANE Cotton-growing province

d Spinning CZD Ginning unit ▲ Cotton research station * Rural research base

"slash and b u rn " , u p la n d rice is c u l t i ­ v a te d , p o s s ib ly w i t h a c o t t o n i n t e r ­ cro p . In year 2, u p la n d rice is c o n t i ­ n u e d — w it h o r w i t h o u t c o tto n — if the fa r m e r ju d g e s soil fe r t i li t y and w e e d in fe s ta tio n to be fa v o u r a b le . In year 3 ( o r p e r h a p s 2 ), g r o u n d n u t , a n d possibly co tto n , are so w n , som etim es f o l l o w e d b y a c r o p o f w a t e r m e l o n . F inally, the land is left f a l lo w fo r fo u r years m a x im u m to c o m p le te the rota­ tio n . The d e c is io n to a p p ly this c ro p s e q u e n c e is ba se d o n s o il f e r t i l i t y , la b o u r a v a ila b ility , and p ro d u c t m a r­ keting c o n d itio n s .

Figure 1. Ginning and spinning units and research and development sites in the principal cotton-growing regions of Laos.

c o t t o n " , w h i c h is s o w n in th e d ry , c o o l season (S eptem ber-February).

O n s h a llo w soil slopes, such as in the v a l l e y o f th e N a m O u , u p la n d ric e s o w n after "slash and b u r n " is f o l l o ­ w e d in y e a r 2 b y a p u r e s t a n d o f c o t t o n ; th e l a n d is t h e n le ft f a l l o w fo r several years. In th e re g io n s o f M u a n g Fuang and V a n g V ie n g , u p la n d rice is fo l lo w e d by a " fo g c o tt o n " catch c rop. Th e se a s s o c ia t io n s b e tw e e n c o t t o n a nd g ro u n d n u t o r u p la n d rice fit p re ­ cise fa rm in g o b je c tiv e s fo r w h i c h the m a jo r lim itin g fa c to r is th e la b o r p ro ­ d u c tiv it y o f the fa m il y unit. The crops are e sta b lis h e d b e fo re th e a rriv a l o f th e h e a v y rains, w h i c h m o b ilis e the e ntire la b o u r fo rc e in the p a d d y fie ld s (Figure 2). Early s o w in g lim its risks o f erosion on the sandy p la in , w h e r e the soils are pro n e to leaching.

Cultivation

practices

C o m m o n p ra c tic e is to s o w c o tto n by broadcast in M a y and June; the in te r­ c r o p — u p la n d ric e o r g r o u n d n u t — is s o w n u s i n g a d i b b l i n g s t i c k . T y p ic a l ly , th e c o tt o n stands are n o t d e n s e ( a b o u t 1 0 0 0 p l a n t s / h a ) , b u t 30 0 0 0 hills are possible on the fertile, w e ll- d r a in e d h illo c k s and te rm ita ria . T h e s e e d r e q u i r e m e n t s c a r c e l y e x c e e d s 6 k g / h a . H i l l s a re r a r e l y t h i n n e d o u t , b u t w e e d i n g a l w a y s c o i n c i d e s w i t h t h e w e e d i n g o f o th e r crops.

cotton in Laos

Province of V ientiane

Provinces of S a v a n n a k h e t a n d S a y a b o u r y

M ay j June j July jAugustj Sept. | Oct. | Nov. Dec.

Nursery

Bedded flood-plain rice

Bedding out Harvest

Sowing - 1st hoeing Harvest

Early cotton

Peaks in the work schedule

Figure 2. Alternative farming calendars for rice and cotton in Laos.

M ay i June i July August Sept. i Oct. i Nov. i Dec.

Rainfed ric

Sowing 1 Harvest + threshing

Early cotton

Sowing Hoeing

Smooth work schedule

Harvest

In th e m a in p la in s o f V ie n t ia n e and S a v a n n a k h e t, a n d e s p e c ia l ly w h e r e l o w l a n d r ic e is th e m a j o r c r o p , th e most c o m m o n association is groundnut - c o t t o n . G r o u n d n u t is ready fo r har­ vest in A u g u s t — the c ro p residues are left o n th e s o il. T h e c o t t o n h a rv e s t e x te n d s fr o m N o v e m b e r to January. As t h e ric e h a rv e s t is p e r f o r m e d in O c to b e r, this ti m i n g is adva ntageous. If s e le c te d e a r l y v a r ie tie s o f c o tt o n w e r e d i s t r i b u t e d , th e l a b o u r f o r c e w o u l d face an o v e rc h a rg e d schedule : th e fir s t w e e d i n g w o u l d c la s h w i t h the p rio rity task o f rice tran sp la n tin g , and th e c o tt o n harvest w i t h th e rice harvest.

Peanut-cotton crop association on rd i in Ban Hai.

Photo: G . Trébuil

H o w e v e r, in the re gion o f Paklay, for e x a m p le , w h e r e u p la n d rice c u lt iv a ­ t i o n p r e d o m i n a t e s , t h e f a r m i n g c a le n d a r is m o re fle x ib le . Here, c o t ­ to n is s o w n using a d ib b l in g stick in July, w e l l after u p la n d ric e p la n t in g and it is harvested fr o m N o v e m b e r to January after rice threshin g.

W h e r e c o n d i t i o n s a re s u i t a b l e f o r c u lt iv a t io n o f " fo g c o tt o n " , th e local v ariety, Eay M o k , is so w n very dense­ ly by b roadcast or d ib b l in g stick once th e u p la n d rice has been harvested. The straw is c u t and spread as m u lc h o n t h e s e e d l i n g s . T h e s o i l is th e n w e e d e d o n c e o r tw i c e before the c o t­ to n ha rve st, w h i c h ta kes p la c e b e t­ w e e n D e c e m b e r and February. Pure stands o f c o tto n are som etim es sown b y d ib b l in g stick ( 3 - 5 seeds per p la n ­ tin g ho le , 12 kg/ha o f hand-selected seeds). A fa irly extensive area is given o v e r to c o tto n c u lt iv a t io n in the n o r­ t h e r n p r o v i n c e o f L u a n g P ra b a n g . H e r e , d e n s e s o w i n g ( a b o u t 33 0 0 0 h i l l s / h a ) b y d i b b l i n g s t ic k be g in s in m i d - A p r i l . T h e c r o p areas a r e w e e d e d t h r e e t i m e s a n d t h e harvest, w h i c h begins in September, ta ke s p la c e w i t h at least th r e e p i c ­ kings 4.5 to 6 m o n th s after sowing. In all cases, th e c o tto n is harvested in th e m o r n in g w h e n th e d e w has e va ­ p ora te d , b u t before th e leaves b e c o ­ m e to o d ry and f la k y — th is prevents s o ilin g o f th e seedcotton. A fter being d r i e d f o r s everal days on mats, th e co tto n is then g in n e d by hand.

Second year "fog cotton" in Muang Fuang.

Photo: G . Trébuil

It is n o t c o m m o n p r a c t i c e t o use o r g a n i c f e r t i li s e r s o r to a p p l y pest c o n tr o l. Local varieties are w e ll p ro ­ t e c t e d a g a in s t ja s s id s , b e c a u s e o f t h e i r h a ir in e s s , w h i l e c o t t o n b o 11 - w o r m s are n o t ye t a m a jo r p ro b le m . " I n t e n s i v e " c o t t o n c u l t i v a t i o n is b e in g re in tro d u c e d in th e n o rth w e s t (S ayaboury p ro v in c e ), 2 0 years after t h e f i r s t a t t e m p t a t d e v e l o p m e n t , w h i c h was backed b y the C o m p a g n ie française p o u r le d é v e lo p p e m e n t des f i b r e s t e x t il e s . T h is is th e r e s u lt o f deals c lin c h e d w it h Thai traders w h o p u r c h a s e t h e h a r v e s t a n d s e ll t h e inp u ts , b u t also " r e c o m m e n d " n o n ­ adapted c ro p p in g techniques.

The varieties

cultivated

B e s id e s th e s o - c a l l e d " i m p r o v e d " c u lt iv a r s — th e p ro g e n y o f Reba B50 o r T h a i v a rie tie s o f th e Sri S a m ro n g ty p e — fiv e m a jo r types o f tr a d itio n a l c o t t o n a re c u l t i v a t e d in Laos. T h e l o c a l v a r i e t i e s p r o v i d e f i b r e o f m e d io c re q u a lity , b u t th e y are hardy and to le ra n t to insects.

Fay N ia y (G o s s y p iu m h irsutum ) is an a n n u a l ty p e g r o w n in th e ra in y sea­ son. It is h ig h l y v e g e ta tiv e — at least e ig h t branches a ppear before the first f r u i t - b e a r i n g b r a n c h . It has b r o a d , ha iry leaves and small bolls, and p ro ­ vides short fibres [length, 2 .5 % span length (SL) = 23 m m ]. The m a x im u m g i n n i n g o u t t u r n is 3 3 % . T h e m e a n fie ld p ro d u c tio n is 6 0 0 kg/ha o f seed- c o t t o n ; p r o d u c t i o n n e v e r e x c e e d s 1 5 0 0 kg/ha. H o w e v e r, this v a rie ty is d if fic u lt to gin , because o f its " s tic k y " fibre. It is often c u ltiv a te d in a m i x t u ­ re w it h Fay N o y (G. arboreum ), a n o ­ ther very c o m m o n variety, e sp e cia lly in the north.

T h e Fay N o y v a r ie ty is h i g h l y b r a n ­ c h e d , and g ro w s 2 m ta ll. T h e fr u it - b e a rin g b ra n c h e s are short, and the le a v e s s m a ll a n d e x t r e m e l y h a ir y . The small bolls th at fo rm hang rather than rem ain u p rig h t. The g in n in g o u t­ tu rn is 2 8 % , and th e fib re is 21 m m lo n g (2 .5 % SL). T h is v a rie ty is re p u ­ te d ly easy to gin by hand.

Fay M o u y (G. a r b o re u m ) resem bles Fay N o y m o r p h o l o g i c a l l y . It is an a n n u a l, p r o d u c i n g v e ry sh o rt (2 .5 % SL: 18 m m ) sable o r kh a k i c o lo u r e d fib re s . S m a ll a m o u n t s o f Fay M o u y are present in tra d itio n a l m ixes o f Fay N ia y and Fay N o y .

Fay M o k , or "fog cotton", (G. arboreum) re s e m b le s Fay N o y . H o w e v e r , it is an e a rly v a rie ty , and adapts w e l l to o ff-s e a s o n c u l t i v a t i o n , at th e fo re s t edge w h e r e a hig h re la tive h u m i d it y is m a in ta in e d . Fruiting and vegetative g ro w th are lim ite d .

F i n a l l y , Fay D j a n (G . b a r b a d e n s e race v itifo liu m ) is a s h ru b -lik e co tto n th a t is lo p p e d a n n u a lly . It is c u lt iv a ­ te d in g a r d e n h e d g e s , a n d f l o w e r s

late. Its leaves are bro ad and hairless. Fay D ja n is a " k i d n e y " c o t t o n w i t h lin k e d seeds. Its fibres v a ry in length (2 .5 % SL) fro m 23 to 27 m m , and the g i n n i n g o u t t u r n , f r o m 2 0 t o 2 9 % . M a n u a l g in n in g o f this v a rie ty is very str a ig h tfo rw a rd .

Research into mass b re e d in g o f these local varieties has p ro v id e d no useful results. Nevertheless, th e ir hardiness and to le ra n c e to insects suggest th at d e e p e r inv e s tig a tio n o f th e inte rs p e ­ c i f i c h y b r i d i s a t i o n G . h e r b a c e u m X G . a r b o r e u m m a y b e m e r i t e d . I m p r o v e d I n d i a n c u l t i v a r s o f G. a rb o re u m , in t r o d u c e d to Laos in 1 99 2 , are c u rr e n tly u n d e r trial. The in tro d u c tio n o f selected varieties is l i a b l e t o be c o m p r o m i s e d as a r e s u l t o f d i f f i c u l t i e s in a c c e s s i n g insecticides, w h i c h have to be im p o r ­ te d a n d f o r w h i c h fa r m e rs h a v e no access to credit. Nevertheless, in e v i­ t a b le c h a n g e s in th e L a o tia n c o tt o n s e c to r n e c e s s ita te s in v e s t ig a t io n o f c u ltiv a rs h a v in g fibres th a t are t e c h ­ n o lo g ic a lly s u p e rio r to those o f local c o t t o n . O f a ll v a rie tie s te sted, o n l y S 295 and SR1 F4 (cu ltiva te d in Chad) a nd G 3 1 9 - 1 6 (C ô te d 'I v o ir e ) a d a p t w e l l to L a o tia n ecosystem s. But th e I n d i a n c o t t o n v a r i e t y G . h i r s u t u m (k n o w n as K h a m K h a o 1 in Laos)— w h i c h is e x t r e m e l y h a i r y a n d behaves very w e ll in the fie ld — offers th e best re sults ( a b o u t 2 5 0 0 kg /h a o f s e e d c o t t o n w i t h i n t e n s i v e c r o p prote ctio n ).

cotton in Laos

Bilateral

Laos-French

cooperation

project

The bilateral Laos-French cooperation project concerning development-orien­ ted research on fibre crops was laun­ ched in 1985 w ith broad objectives. Diverse fibre and oilseed crops were investigated at the request of the Laos government, which wished the country to produce the raw materials for projec­ ted processing units— spinning mills, oil w o r k s , and g u n n y bag p l a n t — in Vientiane. However, limited resources prevented in-depth sectoral studies. In 1987, fo llo w in g installation of the first se m i-in du stria l s p in n in g m ill in Laos on the Vientiane premises of the Laotian W omen's Pilot Textile Project

(Union des femmes laotiennes), the pro­

ject's mandate was narrowed to cotton research.

A knowledgeable and efficient team of Laotians manage the project's research c e ll, w it h the s u pport of the French c o m ité de c o o p é ra tio n avec le Laos (CCL) and scientists belonging to the Annual Crops Department of the Centre de c o o p é r a t io n i n t e r n a t io n a l e en r e c h e rc h e a g r o n o m i q u e p o u r le d é v e lo p p e m e n t (CIR AD) and to the Laboratory for Agrarian Studies of the Institut français de recherche scienti­ fique pour le développement en coopé­ r a t io n (O R S T O M ). The c e ll has provided better descriptions of the tra­ ditional farming systems, and trials in different ecosystems have made it pos­ s ib le to e v a lu a t e e n t o m o lo g i c a l problems and to define technical itine­ raries fo r cotton c u ltiv a tio n . Finally, s m a llh o ld e rs — p a r t ic u la r ly fro m the region of Paklay— participated in a pilot development action.

E x p e rim e n ta l w o r k w as l i m i t e d to V ie n t ia n e p r o v i n c e u n t i l 1 9 9 0 . However, as a result of collaboration with the agricultural college of Nabong, research was extended to other p ro ­ vince s (Luang Prabang, Sayaboury, Pakse, Savannakhet, and Champasak) from 1991.

At present, the project operates within the DORAS p rogram m e fo r regional c o tt o n d e v e lo p m e n t in C a m b o d ia , Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Thai traders

B e t w e e n 1 9 6 6 a n d 1 9 7 0 , t h e C o m p a g n ie fr a n ça ise de d é v e lo p p e ­ m e n t des fib re s te x t ile s i n t r o d u c e d the m id -le n g th fib re va rie ty Reba B50 (native to Chad) to the Laotian bo rd e r re g io n s o f T h a i l a n d . A l t h o u g h th e e x p e r i m e n t w a s h a lt e d b e c a u s e o f w a r , s m a l lh o l d e r s w e r e a p p a r e n t ly i n t e r e s t e d in t h e n e w v a r i e t y , as p r o d u c t i o n i m p r o v e d f r o m 5 0 0 to 2 0 0 0 t o n n e s o f s e e d c o t t o n o v e r the perio d 1 9 6 6 - 1 9 6 8 . T o d a y 's h ig h e r p e r f o r m a n c e c o tt o n c u lt iv a r s , p r o b a b l e d e s c e n d a n ts o f R e b a B 5 0 , a r e r e m i n d e r s o f t h i s e n d e a v o u r . O t h e r s m o o t h l e a f T h a i v a rie tie s are als o c u lt iv a t e d , b u t fo r these, insecticides are indispensable, as t h e i r a e r i a l h a ir le s s v e g e t a t i v e system s are s u s c e p t i b le to s u c k in g insect pests.

It is c o m m o n f o r c e r t a in fa r m e rs to use th e s e v a r i e t i e s in c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h oth e rs such as th e T h a i v a rie ty Sri S amrong 2. Traders fr o m T h a ila n d sell seeds, fe rtilize rs, pesticides, and e v e n g r o w t h r e g u l a t o r s o n c r e d i t . T h e y then b u y th e harvest— as seed­ c o t t o n — a n d set p a rt o f th is a g a in s t th e cre d it. P roje ct researchers are o f th e o p i n i o n th a t m a n y o f th e in p u ts are i n a p p r o p r i a t e a n d o f m e d i o c r e q u a l i t y . T h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g in v e s t ­ m e n t is e q u iv a le n t to 5 0 0 kg o f seed- co tto n /h a . T h e tr a d e r s d i v i d e t h e s e e d c o t t o n into t w o p ric e categories: in 199 0 , fo r e x a m p le , 1 kg o f im p ro v e d see d co t­ to n c o lle c te d K 3 0 0 ($ 0 .5 0 US), w h e ­ reas local c o tto n (Fay Niay) c o lle c te d K 2 3 0 ($ 0.35 US). In effect, the traders w e r e p a y in g o n l y s l i g h t l y m o r e f o r t h e m i d - l e n g t h f i b r e s t h a n f o r t h e local short fibres.

T h e r e l a t i v e success o f th e se d e a ls o u g h t n o t o b s c u re the risks in v o lv e d : in t h e l o n g - t e r m t h e f a r m e r s m a y r e j e c t t h e t r a d e r s ' t e r m s a n d t u r n a w a y fro m c o tto n c u lt iv a t io n d e f i n it i ­ v e l y in s e a rc h o f a m o r e l u c r a t i v e l iv e l ih o o d . Nevertheless, th e traders d o p r o v i d e th e o n l y m e a n s f o r f a r ­ mers to o b ta in c re d it fo r inputs. The net result is th at the fib re p r o d u c tio n

Hand ginning in the village (Savannakhet).

Photo: G . Trébuil

o f Laos serves as a c h e a p s o u rc e o f c o tto n fo r T h a ila n d . A t present, abo u t 6 0 0 - 8 0 0 to n n e s/ye a r o f Laotian fibre leaves th e c o u n tr y in this w ay .

Market strategy

As m u c h o f th e c o tt o n p r o d u c e d in Laos is i n t e n d e d fo r h o u s e h o ld and craft activitie s, it is d if fic u lt to e v a lu a ­ te th e areas giv e n o v e r to co tto n c u l ­ t i v a t i o n , h a r v e s t s , a n d o u t l e t s . In a d d itio n , v a ria tio n s b e tw e e n statistics fro m d iffe re n t sources are even more p ro n o u n c e d because co tto n is largely c u lt iv a t e d in a s s o c ia tio n w i t h o th e r plants. C u rre n t estimates fo r all types o f fa r m in g system suggest th at cotton is c u ltiv a te d on 30 0 0 0 ha, p ro v id in g a m a x i m u m o f 1 4 0 0 0 t o n n e s o f s e e d c o tto n and a b o u t 4 6 0 0 to nnes o f co tto n lint.

T h e L a o tia n W o m e n 's P ilo t T e x tile Project s p i n n i n g m i l l in V i e n t i a n e , w h i c h w a s l a u n c h e d in 1 9 8 7 , is f i n a n c e d b y t h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s

D e v e l o p m e n t P r o g r a m m e . A t present, it pro vid e s Laos w it h its o n ly n a tio n a l s p in n in g u n it o u tsid e house­ h o l d w e a v i n g , a n d c a n p r o c e s s 70 to nnes o f lin t a n n u a lly . If the n u m ­ b e r o f w o r k te a m s w e r e in c re a s e d , 2 1 0 to n n e s o f l in t c o u ld be p ro c e s ­ sed. B u t th e U n i o n is w o r k i n g w e l l b e lo w its ca p a city.

O n l y 18.6 tonnes o f lin t fro m diverse p ro d u c e r regions w e re spun in 1991 ; 4 3 . 2 t o n n e s w e r e s p u n in 1 9 9 2

Cotton fibre purchased, tonnes 25 Fibre length 20 - - ] 18-22 mm 1 22-24 mm 1 1 24-26 mm 15 -> 26 mm 25 20 10

Champasak Saravane Louang Prabang Sayabouri Vientiane Total 1992 Province

Figure 3. Fibre purchased by Vientiane's spinning mill as a function of fibre length and production zone (1 992).

Purchase price, kips/kg Equivalent $US/kg

1 400 1 300 1 200 1 000 800

nl

11

- 2.0 1.8 1.7 - 1.4 22 24 26 28 Fibre length, mm

Figure 4. Price paid for fibre by Vientiane's spinning mill as a function of fibre length (1 992).

(F ig u r e 3). T h e U n i o n o ffe rs m u c h h ig h e r price s fo r fib r e o f e q u iv a le n t q u a lity than d o the Thai traders; th e ir p r i c i n g s y s te m is s t r i c t l y ba se d on fi b r e le n g th (F ig ure 4). H o w e v e r , it h a s n o t y e t t h e m e a n s t o a l l o w farmers credit.

Laos has the p o s s ib ility o f o p e n in g its r a t h e r r e s t r i c t i v e n a t i o n a l m a r k e t t o w a r d s T h a i l a n d , a n d p e r h a p s Vietnam, on con d itio n that it develops p r o d u c tio n o f the m e d iu m long fibre varieties d e m a n d e d by co tto n m a n u ­ facturers. T o illustrate the p o te n tia l in th e s e o u t l e t s , T h a i l a n d p ro c e s s e d 3 7 7 0 0 0 t o n n e s o f l i n t , i n c l u d i n g a lm o st 9 0 % im p o rte d fibre, in 1991, w h i l e V i e t n a m , c o n s u m e s 70 0 0 0 to nnes o f lin t a n n u a lly . T h e c u r r e n t s o c io e c o n o m ic c lim a t e is f a v o u r a b l e f o r th e e x p a n s i o n o f c o t t o n c u l t i v a t i o n — f a r m e r s a re receptive, n a tio n a l and in te rn a tio n a l m a r k e t s e x i s t , a n d t h e L a o t i a n e c o n o m y has r e c e n t ly b e c o m e less restrictive. It is esse n tia l to c re a te a n a tio n a l o rg a n is a tio n to c o o r d i n a t e p r o d u c t io n in p u t p r o c u r e m e n t, and purchase o f s m a llh o ld e rs ' harvests.

Crop

management

and

economic

assessment

The Laos-F rench p r o je c t has several o p e r a t i o n a l s e q u e n c e s c o n c e r n i n g t h e t w o c o m m e r c i a l o u t l e t s — t h e n a t i o n a l c o t t a g e in d u s t r i e s , w h i c h r e q u ir e s h o rt fib re s , a n d th e e x p o r t m a r k e t , w h i c h d e m a n d s m e d i u m lon g fibres. T h e p r o d u c t i o n o f s h o r t f i b r e s ( 1 8 - 2 2 m m ) f o r l o c a l c r a f ts a n d s p i n n i n g in V i e n t i a n e is b e i n g i n v e s t i g a t e d u s i n g l o w - i n p u t o p e ra tio n a l sequences. Tests in v o lv e

cotton in Laos

in te rc ro p p in g of, essentially, the late c o tto n s Fay N ia y and Fay N o y , w it h n e ith e r inputs no r seasonal credit. T h e p r o d u c t i v e i t i n e r a r y c o n c e r n s i m p r o v e d , lo n g e r fib r e ( 2 7 - 3 0 m m ) v a rie tie s f o r e x p o r t to n e ig h b o u r in g c o u n trie s . V a rie tie s in c lu d e in t r o d u ­ c e d G . h i r s u t u m , s u c h as SR1 F4 (n a tiv e to A fric a ) a n d K h a m K hao 1 ( n a t i v e t o I n d i a ) , w h i c h a re e a r l y varieties p lanted in pure stands re q u i­ r i n g f e r t i l i z e r a n d c r o p p r o t e c t i o n a p p lic a tio n s . Farmers m ust th e re fo re h a v e a c e r t a i n l e v e l o f t e c h n i c a l k n o w le d g e .

C a l c u l a t i o n s o f e c o n o m i c m a r g in s (Table 1) d e m o n s tra te the real p r o f i­ t a b ility o f co tto n c u ltiv a tio n , and p ro ­ v i d e a basis f o r f a r m e r s ' in te re s t in th e a c tiv ity . The farm ers' m a in m o t i­ v a t i o n is to o p t i m i z e f a m i l y la b o u r p r o d u c tiv ity .

Local

ginning

and

pressing of

cotton lint

The children and cotton harvest of Ban Khon-Kham (Louang Prabang).

Photo: G . Trébuil

There is no industrial g in n in g u n it in Laos to s u p p ly V ie n t ia n e 's s p in n in g enterprise. This relies on the p u rc h a ­ se o f s e e d c o t t o n d i r e c t l y f r o m th e p r o d u c e r villa ge s. The s e e d co tto n is g in n e d usin g r o lle r -ty p e m e c h a n ic a l g in s in v i l l a g e u n its , w h i c h e n s u re th a t th e first c o n v e rs io n o f the co tto n h a r v e s t o c c u r s in t h e p r o d u c t i o n zone.

M a n u a l g in n i n g is a s lo w a n d fa s ti­ dio u s task reserved fo r the fa rm h o u ­ s e h o l d , w h i c h r e q u i r e s a b o u t tw o w e e k s to gin th e 70 kg o f seed­ co tto n re q u ire d to satisfy its needs. T h e r e a re i n s u f f i c i e n t g i n n i n g a n d pressing units to c o p e w it h the co tto n p r o d u c t i o n o f L a o s . In a d d i t i o n ,

c o n v e rs io n o f the harvest is restricted to th e p r o d u c t i o n z o n e d u e to th e i n s u f f i c i e n c i e s o f c o m m u n i c a t i o n c h a n n e ls . T r a n s p o r t o f th e pressed fi b re — a n o n p e ris h a ble , easy to store, h ig h -v a lu e (up to 2 0 0 0 kips/kg) c o m ­ m o d i t y — is stra ig h tfo rw a rd .

T h e Laos-French p r o je c t in tro d u c e d r o lle r -ty p e gins o f Thai m a n u fa c tu re in 19 8 6 . These are small, robust, not v e r y c o s t l y , a n d e a s y to m a i n t a i n . T h e y r u n o n e l e c t r i c i t y o r d ie s e l (5 h o r s e p o w e r ) , a n d c a n p ro c e s s 2 0 - 2 5 kg o f f i b r e / h . A t p r e s e n t , 1 7 r o l l e r g in s a re l o c a t e d in n in e g in n in g units created u n d e r diffe re n t projects c o u n tr y w id e .

An autonomous

activity

E a c h s e e d c o t t o n p r o c e s s i n g u n i t creates dry-season e m p lo y m e n t fo r a l i m i t e d p r o d u c t i o n z o n e i n c l u d i n g the host v illa g e and some n e ig h b o u ­ r i n g h a m l e t s . F r o m D e c e m b e r t o A p r i l , e a c h u n i t c a n p r o c e s s 1 3 0 - 1 4 0 to n n e s w i t h a la b o u r fo rc e

Agriculture et développement ■ Special issue - December 1994

rY_

w o r k i n g 6 - 8 h / d a y . L o w - c o s t m a te ria ls a v a ila b le l o c a l ly are used to c o n s t r u c t th e s e u n its , w h i c h are e q u ip p e d w it h : - t w o o r th re e , 1 m lo n g ro lle r - ty p e gins; - a l o c a l l y c o n s t r u c t e d b a l e r f o r h a n d lin g 4 0 kg o f fib re ; - a c le a n , s h e lte re d , a n d v e n tila t e d area fo r sto rin g the see d co tto n , w it h separate sections fo r se e d c o tto n o r i ­ g i n a t i n g f r o m seed m u l t i p l i c a t i o n , f ib r e bales, and sacks o f co tto n s e e d (Table 2).

The processing u n it acts as a p r o m o ­ tio n a l in te rfa c e b e tw e e n th e p r o d u ­ cer and the market. Here, th e fa rm e r

learns the im p o rta n c e th a t m a n u fa c ­ turers p la c e o n lin t q u a lity , and th a t q u a l i t y is b e tte r r e m u n e r a te d . T h e y learn th a t fa r m in g practices can affect t h e t e c h n o l o g i c a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s prize d on the market:

- c l e a n l in e s s ( c o n d i t i o n s a n d c a re taken at harvest and d u rin g d rying); - c o lo u r (varie tal p u r ity and e n d -o f- c y c le pest c o n tro l);

- length ( c h o ic e o f v a rie ty and seed purity).

By g i n n i n g s e p a r a t e l y s e e d c o t t o n p ro d u c e d as a result o f seed m u l t i p l i ­ c a tio n o f d is t in c t c u lt iv a r s , th e u n it can guarantee both c h o ic e o f variety a n d t h e q u a l i t y o f t h e se e d s w i t h w h i c h th e p r o d u c e r s are s u p p li e d .

Table 1. Economic results for three technical itineraries applied to cotton cultivation, Laos (1990-1991 ). K700 = $1 .US

Flood-plain Traditional Intensive

cropping Value cropping Value cropping Value

(K'000/ha) K'000/ha) (K'000/ha)

1. Gross income 400 kg/ha 92 800 kg/ha 184 1 500 kg/ha 450 cottonseed

2. Inputs 0 0 seeds (25 kg/ha) 5 seeds (20 kg/ha) 4 labour + harrowing 45 fertiliser (16-20-0 + urea) 27 insecticide (7 treatments) 11 I herbicide (2 l/ha) 4 Total inputs 0 5 191 3. Gross margin (1 - 2) 92 179 259

4. Fixed capital used

hoes 1 hoes 1 hoes 1

Sprays + parts 1

Total fixed capital 1 1 2

5. Net margin

value added (3 - 4) 91 178 257

6. Labour

Family 70 days 90 days 160 days

Salaried 24 days at 800 kips/day 19 40 days at 1 000 kips/day 40

7 Productivity

Value added per day (5/6) 1 2 1.3

8. Social distribution of the value added

Farm taxes

(2% of gross income) 2 4 9

Interest on loans 0 0 (5% per cycle) 7

Salaried work 19 0 40

Total 21 4 56

9. Disposable farm

income per hectare(5 - 8) 70 174 217

Flood-plain cropping: smallholder cotton crops cultivated in a flood-plain system without inputs for the Thai market. Levees of the Xe Bang Hieng, Savannakhet province.

Traditional cropping: smallholder cultivation of local varieties, without labour, for farm household consumption. Paklay region, Sayaboury province, and Nam, Luang Prabang province.

Intensive cropping: intensive smallholder cultivation of introduced varieties for the Thai market salaried labour used solely at harvest time. Valley of the Nam Ngum in Ban Haï, Vientiane province.

cotton in Laos

Table 2. Cost of village ginning unit depreciated over 10 years.

Investment Cost (K'OOO) - construction of the unit 2920

- two gins 3650

- one baler 730

- installation of electricity 511

Total investment 7811

Item Annual cost (K'OOO)

depreciation 781

maintenance of the unit 438

Total annual cost 1219

This practice contributes to standar­ d is i n g l i n t q u a l i t y , and h e n c e to o b ta in in g the best purchase prices from manufacturers. This is essential for Laos, to lim it the amount of cotton th a t is g in ne d across the b o rd e r in Thailand.

The first stage

of development

A cotton ginning sector w ell integra­ ted in the co un try's e c o n o m y relies on the creation of village units. Local farmers' organisations whose m e m ­ bers have a considerable stake in the sector could coordinate a number of activities: c o lle c tio n o f o utput, unit m a n ag em en t, n e g o tia tio n o f deals w ith manufacturers, and production and d istribu tion o f q u a lity seeds. In the m edium term, provid ed that the dem ocracy o f these organisations is assured (i.e. free membership, p riori­ ty given to issues o f mutual interest, and open management), they could p e r c e iv a b ly be re sp on sib le fo r the supply o f inputs, and, even manage members' seasonal credits.

In addition, the benefit margins from the ginning units c ould be earmarked f o r lo c a l d e v e l o p m e n t a c t i o n s

— w orking capital for seasonal credit a n d b u l k p u r c h a s e o f i n p u t s , a c o o p e r a t i v e sto re , a c q u i s i t i o n o f t r a n s p o r t , e tc . T h e c o t t o n s e c to r could thus become a driving force in the s o c io e c o n o m ic d e v e lo p m e n t of the village.

The small number of units already in operation demonstrate that it is pos­ s ible to a da pt systems to th e local conte xt— respecting household p ro ­ d u c t i o n and f a r m e r s ' g r o u p s — to e n h a n c e f a r m i n g a c t i v i t i e s in an appropriate way.

N o w the State must d e v e lo p s o c io ­ e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s at r e g io n a l level to motivate the rural c o m m u n i­ ty to beco m e m ore p ro d u c tiv e and better organised.

Further information

C ASTELLA J.-C., C H A N T H A R A T B., T H IR A S A C K S., T R É B U IL C . , 1 9 9 3 . Cotton cultivation in Laos-lessons learnt from a research-development-training experience. Bilate ra l c o o p e r a tio n in fa rm in g between France and Laos (Ministry of Agriculture and Forest, and the Centre national de recherche a g r o n o m i q u e , V i e n t ia n e ) . M o n t p e l l i e r , France, CIRAD-CA, 8 8 pp. (book).

H A U B., 1991 .R e p o rt o f a m is s io n to Laos, 2 2 -3 0 O c t o b e r 1 9 9 0 . M o n t p e ll ie r , France, CIRAD-CA, 17 pp.

Abstract... Resumen... Résumé

G. TREBUIL, J.-C. CASTELLA, B. CHANTHARAT, S. THIRASACK - Cotton cultivation in Laos. Laos has a tradition o f cotton, and fa rm in g systems are a d a p te d to m a n y ecological systems. T h e y inclu de in particular rice, cotton and peanut. In order to develop a true cotton sector providing a source of foreign currency e a r n in g s f o r th e c o u n try , re s e a rc h b y th e b i l a t e r a l Franco-Laotian co o p eratio n project on fib re crops has co n c en tra te d on im p r o v e d f a r m in g system s including fertilisers and pesticides, be tte r cultivation techniques, a n d p ro du ctive v a rie tie s . A rtisa n a l g in n in g a n d fib re pressing facilities are being org an ized in villages and the first spinning factory has been installed in Vientiane. In certain fron tier regions in Thailand, cotton growing with i m p r o v e d v a r ie tie s is d e v e lo p in g as a cash crop fo r export.

K e y - w o r d s : c o tto n , p e a n u t , r ic e , f a r m i n g sy s te m s , varieties, technology, economy, Laos, Asia.

G. TREBUIL, J.-C. CASTELLA, B. CHANTHARAT, S. THIRASACK - El algodón en Laos.

Laos es un pais de tradición algodonera con sistemas de cultivo adaptados a situaciones ecológicas múltiples, que incluyen, en particular, arroz, algodón y cacahuete. Con o b j e t o d e d e s a r r o l l a r u n a v e r d a d e r a a c t iv id a d a l g o d o n e r a , f u e n t e d e d iv is a s p a r a el p a ís , las inv estiga cion es del p ro ye cto de co op eració n b ila te ra l franco-laosiano de investigación y desarrollo relativo a las plantas de fib ra han estudiado sistemas de cultivo m ejorados que com prenden abonos y pesticidas, técnicas de cultivo más eficaces y variedades productivas. En los p o b la d o s , se o r g a n i z a n e s t ru c t u ra s a r t e s a n a l e s de desgrane y prensado de la fib ra. Además, se ha instalado la prim e ro h ila tu ra en V ie ntiane . En alg una s regiones fronterizas de Tailandia, el cultivo algodonero de renta se d e s a rro lla con v a r ie d a d e s m e jo ra d o s con fin e s de exportación.

Palabras clave : algodón, cacahuete, arroz, sistemas de cultivo, variedades, tecnología, economía, Laos, Asia.

G. TREBUIL, J.-C. CASTELLA, B. CHANTHARAT, S. THIRASACK - Le cotonnier au Laos.

Le Laos est un pays de tr a d itio n co ton nière, d o n t les s y s t è m e s d e c u l t u r e s o n t a d a p t é s à d e m u l t i p l e s situations écologiques. Ils com prennent en particulier le riz, le cotonnier, l'arachide. Afin q u 'un e véritable filière cotonnière, source de devises pour le pays, puisse être d é v e lo p p é e , les recherches du p ro je t de co o p é ra tio n bilatérale franco-lao de recherche-développem ent sur les plantes à fib re ont po rté sur des systèm es de culture am éliorés, co m prenant engrais et pesticides, techniques de cu ltu re plus p e r fo r m a n te s et va rié té s productives. Dans les villages, des structures artisanales d 'é gre nag e et de pressage de la fib re s'organisent, en plus de l'usine de filatu re installée à V ientiane. Dans certaines régions p r o c h e s d e la T h a ï l a n d e , la c u l t u r e c o t o n n i è r e d'e xp ortation se développe avec des variétés am éliorées.

Mots-clés : cotonnier, ara ch id e, riz, système de culture, variété, technologie, économie, Laos, Asie.