Out-of-action irrigation may cut crop yields
Thousands of hectares of farmland are expected to be affected by a lack of irrigation this dry season as provinces are suffering funding shortages for the repair of irrigation systems. This year there are as many as 453 irrigation systems that require repair with the total cost estimated at about 142.5 billion kip, according to the Irrigation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Head of the department’s Irrigation Management Division, Mr Amphay Phannoulak, told Vientiane Times on January 16 the department had submitted a repair proposal to the government via the ministry to seek funding. Higher authorities have said financing will be channelled directly to the provinces so they can repair the irrigation systems under their responsibility, Mr Amphay said. But local departments are expected to experience particularly slow approval of funding since administrative changes came into effect this year. These include the fact that the government moved the start of the fiscal year from October to January, which means budget approval will be made later.
