(KPL) Xiengkhouang province has made its efforts to strengthen agriculture produce for market-oriented products and creates a strong commodity production group in connection with the promotion of nutrition.

Mr. Somsamone Phalichanh, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry in Xiengkhouang Province, said last week.

The Xiengkhouang Department of Agriculture and Forestry is responsible for five programs cincentrating on the food and nutrition program, agricultural production program, sustainable forest management program, rural development and poverty alleviation, primary agricultural processing.

"We have deepened food security as a main program, in particular, how can the 280,000 citizens of Xiengkhouang have enough food," he said.

At the same time, we also welcome the tourists who come to visit Xiengkhouang province to ensure that they have sufficient food.

Currently we can produce rice two seasons, both rainy and dry seasons on a total of 21,000 hectares of rice fields. There are 74 farms, 280,000 animals, 1,500,000 ducks and chickens.

As result of a well conservation, it can see that the vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, and wild plants have an increasing trend, he added.

Currently, there are four main nuttion projects are underway the first project is agriculture produce for nutrition, which started in 2016, and the first phase has been completed in Kham and Nong Het districts.

Currently, we have recieved additional grant aid for extented nutrition program for next seven years to be implemented in Nong Het and Mok districts.

The program supported by World Bank as a support program for rural nutrition, by giving money to eligible pregnant women who have children less than 2 years old. the program has been carrying out in Kham and Nong Het Districts.

In addition, we also have a poverty reduction fund to help improve living conditions and nutrition, he said, adding that we provided assistant facilitators in the village help to guide and provide information on nutrition work, and have a team to help each other.

 Xiengkhuang province, children are higher malnutrition, after the program has been implemented for 4-5 years, it can seen that malnutrition is gradually decreasing.

there are a total of 591 groups of vegetable production,  400 animal breeding groups. The production exported to  Vientiane  and Luang Prabang and Vietnam.

KPL