Laos

Concessions of land made by the government of Laos to Chinese banana farms are leaving villagers in one northern district without enough land of their own to feed their families, RFA sources say

Lao authorities have released a villager held since 2017 for protesting the loss of land awarded by the government to a Vietnamese rubber company, but 11 others remain in detention, with another reported to have died in custody last year.

A 3,552 ha land concession in XiengKhuang province will be granted to Lao-Jagro Development XiengKhuang Co, which is 51% owned by the Vietnamese dairy company Vinamilk.

A civil society organization in Laos has called on the government to proceed with its case against ten villagers jailed for more than a year over a land dispute in a transparent manner and demanded an update on their health conditions in prison.

Lao villagers being refused compensation by Vietnam-owned rubber company, which says the land belongs not to the villagers but to the state. The villagers signed agreement on 2009 to leased their land under promise they'll secured work and profit sharing with the company, but haven't received anything until now.

Vinamilk’s general director informed shareholders that the company had found a Japanese partner to build a certified organic dairy farm in Laos

Companies acquired concessions amounting to the size of a small European country, while rural residents of Southeast Asia’s Mekong region saw their landholdings shrink or disappear over the past two decades

Lao workers at Chinese-operated banana plantations are falling ill in large numbers from exposure to chemicals used on the farms, with many suffering from respiratory or liver problems

China’s agricultural investment abroad grew more than tenfold in less than a decade and parallels its emergence as a major importer of agricultural commodities. But the focus of investments are shifting from farming and raw materials to business acquisition.

Laos government has authorised a Chinese firm to carry out a feasibility study in southern Laos, with a view to turning it into top agri-business and agri-tourism destination. Deputy Governor of Champassak province said the Chinese firm also intended to grow organic crops for export to China.

Laos and other countries located along the Mekong River will assess the challenges of large-scale agricultural investments to find better solutions for sustainable development and boost economic growth in the region.

The official visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Laos will boost the business ties between the two nations. Agriculture is one of the main sectors targeted by Chinese investors in the neighboring country. Xi will visit the country from Monday to Tuesday.