Coffee can help Xekong villagers earn more

Mr. Bounyoum’s family in Darktian village, Dakcheung district, Xekong, has been enthusiastically growing coffee to improve the living standards. The coffee crop has helped him earn 10 million kip per year. Mr. Bounyoum said his parents did not grow coffee for sale, so he had no experience in growing it. However, when he saw families in Pakxong district, Champassak province, growing coffee for sale he felt encouraged to give it a try. He started growing coffee in 2010 on 2 hectares of land. In 2015, he harvested coffee for sale. In 2017, technicians from the agriculture and forestry office of Dakcheung district taught his family new techniques to grow coffee, he said.

Mr. Bounyoum said last year his family harvested 1 tonne coffee and earned more than 13 million kip. He said growing coffee is a permanent solution to help his family earn more and this has helped stopping slash and burn cultivations. Besides, Mr. Bounyoum’s family is also growing mangoes and jackfruit and intend to grow bananas too in the future. 

A senior officer from Dakcheung district, Mr. Lakhamhoung Si-amphon, said that Dakcheung has a potential of growing coffee for sale and gardeners have the experience of growing it. He said villagers in Dakcheung are earning more by growing coffee and this has helped them better their living standards and alleviate poverty.

Information source: Vientiane Times.