(KPL) Khammouan Province recently held a cooperation exchange meeting with Ca Mau Province of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to review their pilot project integrating rice cultivation with shrimp farming. The meeting was attended by Mr Keooudon Boudsengkhone, Vice Governor of Khammouan Province, Mr Le Tanh Giao, Standing Vice Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Ca Mau Province, along with representatives and officials from relevant sectors of both sides.

During the meeting, delegation heads from both provinces presented reports on socio-economic development, outlining potential areas for economic cooperation and reviewing the outcomes of bilateral relations. Since 2019, Ca Mau Province has provided education funding of 1 billion dong per year to Khammouan. To further strengthen their cooperation, Ca Mau has also shared agricultural expertise, particularly through the pilot project integrating rice cultivation with freshwater blue shrimp farming in Ngommalath and Nongbok districts, valued at more than 3 billion dong.

Representatives from both provinces also exchanged views on future collaboration, including human resource development, technical cooperation in the Lao Front sector, tourism development, and continued support for expanding the rice–shrimp farming model. Discussions covered technical expertise, equipment, and breeding stock to ensure stable farming conditions and sustainable production.

The meeting also heard a summary report evaluating the results of the rice–shrimp farming project. After two seasons of implementation, the project has shown positive outcomes: shrimp growth met quality standards, farmers’ livelihoods improved, and profits increased.

To recognise the contributions made to the project, Khammouan Province awarded certificates of commendation to four experts from Ca Mau Province for their role in promoting and transferring technical agricultural knowledge.

KPL