This project aims to contribute evidence of effectiveness of methodologies that improve the profitability of large ruminant production in Laos. Interventions that are accepted and can be implemented by smallholder farmers in the areas of health, nutrition, reproduction and marketing are being researched. The project is working in six villages located in the three northern Lao PDR provinces of Luang Prabang, Houaphan and Xieng Khuang. National, provincial and district government staff are working closely with village farmers to implement the project. International experts in different fields of large ruminant production are contributing to the project. They are based with CIAT, UoS, CSU and private consultants.
Activities in the first year were directed at establishing the project and included refurbishing a central project office in Luang Prabang, appointing project staff, selecting the 6 project villages and enrolling the participating households in these villages. Of importance is that the project is implemented in close collaboration with the 'Northern Region Sustainable Livelihood through Livestock Development Project', also known as the Livestock Development Project (LDP) for the northern region. The offices of the LDP and our project are co-located with PASFOI in Luang Prabang, and the project leader of the LDP is also the Lao project leader of our project. This offers immediate opportunities for our research to be extended to the LDP and inclusion of LDP staff in our training programmes.
Knowledge of disease limitations to large ruminant production have been confirmed (Objective 1) through identification of gaps in large ruminant disease diagnosis and reporting. Targeted disease surveillance has commenced at the six project sites, with foot and mouth disease (FMD) and haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) identified as the major concerns to biosecurity and trade. Liver fluke disease due to Fasciola gigantica in adult buffalo and cattle and Toxocara vitulorum in calves have been identified as production diseases of concern, with dermatitis (cause unknown) also identified as a disease that may limit large ruminant production.
Implementation, testing and demonstration of interventions effects on productivity (Objective 2) have progressed.
Collection of three monthly baseline productivity data has occurred twice (December 2008 and March 2009) in the six project villages.
All animals enrolled in the project in the six project villages have been vaccinated against FMD and HS in December 2008. An outbreak of FMD in Xieng Khuang, shortly after vaccination, demonstrated the effectiveness of vaccination, with significantly less animals becoming sick or dying in the vaccinated villages.
Calves were treated for toxocariasis in three of the project villages in December 2008.
Forage plots to improve cattle and buffalo nutrition will be upgraded by the start of the wet season in May/June 2009 in three project sites.
The attitudes of farmers to health, husbandry and market issues (objective 3) has been assessed through the first of three farmer knowledge surveys in all project villages between December 2008 and January 2009. All households with cattle or buffalo enrolled in the project were interviewed. Results indicated limited knowledge of 'best practice' large ruminant production issues by farmers.
Knowledge of the large ruminant supply chain and key drivers in the targeted communities (Objective 4) has been assessed through a survey of ten traders associated with the six project villages in February 2009. Three traders each were interviewed in Houaphan and Xieng Khuang and four in Luang Prabang province.
Additional funds were obtained from the Australian Crawford Fund to support a series of seven short workshops for project staff in areas of large ruminant production. Three workshops were held in Luang Prabang: a 2-day workshop introducing the project to participants in September 2008, a 2-day animal health workshop in February 2009 and a 3-day large ruminant nutrition workshop in April 2009. Future workshops will cover biosecurity, extension methods, reproduction husbandry, economics and marketing.
Two final year veterinary and two animal science honours students from the University of Sydney have commenced projects within the project, adding value to the research outputs. The current projects 2009 include:
Survey of farmer knowledge of biosecurity, risk of transmission of trans-boundary diseases and large ruminant health and production in 3 provinces of northern Laos: data collection completed in February 2009.
Prevalence of Toxocara vitulorum in large ruminants less than 6 months of age in 3 provinces of Northern Laos: data collection completed in January 2009.
A survey of buffalo livers in Northern Laos and faecal samples from project villages to determine the prevalence and significance of Fasciola gigantica infection: data collection in April 2009.
One PhD project entitled: 'Studies on gastro-intestinal parasites of clinical importance to large ruminants in northern Lao PDR, with special reference to Toxocara vitulorum.

This project is researching methodologies that improve the profitability of large ruminant production in Laos to provide an opportunity for smallholder farmers to increase their household income. By a participatory approach interventions that are accepted and can be implemented by farmers in the areas of animal health, nutrition, reproduction management and marketing are being researched. The project is working in six villages located in the three northern Lao PDR provinces of Luang Prabang, Houaphan and Xieng Khuang. National, provincial and district government staff are working closely with village farmers to implement the project. International experts in different fields of large ruminant production are contributing to the project. They are based with UoS, CIAT, CSU and private consultants.
Activities in the second (of four) year were focused on continued training of the district government staff and farmers in best practice health and husbandry topics, three monthly production data collection in the six project villages and continued implementation of the proposed interventions, particularly in nutrition, animal health and biosecurity.
The project works in close collaboration with the 'Northern Region Sustainable Livelihood through Livestock Development Project', also known as Livestock Development Project (LDP). This is a very large development project being implemented in five northern provinces of Lao. The Lao project leader of the LDP is also the project leader of the ACIAR project, enabling our research to be immediately extended to the LDP by inclusion of LDP staff in our project training programmes.
Implementation, testing and demonstration of interventions effects on productivity (Objective 2) are continuing.
Collection of the three monthly baseline productivity data occurred an additional three times (July, October 2009 and Jan-April 2010) in the six project villages. Five data collections of the set of 10 in original project planning have been completed to date.
All animals enrolled in the project in the six project villages continued to be vaccinated against HS bi-annually. FMD vaccination was conducted in late 2008 but could not be continued in 2009 due to inability to source vaccine. This is being resolved and it is anticipated to resume by mid 2010 in the two project villages of Xieng Khuang, the only province of the project area where FMD have been reported over the last few years.
Young calves were treated for toxocariasis throughout the year in one of the project villages in each province and farmers are now reporting a decrease in calf mortalities. A preliminary study via a UoS honours project on Toxocara in 2009 confirmed the need to extend these studies on the role of Toxocara in calf mortality and morbidity and conduct prevalence studies to enable the financial impact of the infection on smallholder farmers to be determined; these studies are part of PhD thesis through UoS.
Forage plots to improve cattle and buffalo nutrition were upgraded by the start of the wet season in May/June 2009 in Luang Prabang and Xieng Khuang provinces but were delayed in Houaphan province. Establishment of more forage plots in all three provinces is planned for the planting season in May/June 2010 and farmers in all project villages have set aside land for forage establishment and ordered seed and rootstock.
The knowledge gap of farmers that was identified through the first of three panned knowledge surveys (objective 3) in early 2009 is being addressed by district staff working closely with farmers, visiting the project villages monthly and from May 2010 by implementing three-monthly 1/2 day farmer training meetings in the villages.
The knowledge of the large ruminant supply chain and key drivers in the targeted communities (Objective 4) that was initially assessed through a trader survey in Feb 2009 is being used to develop marketing interventions together with project staff at a workshop scheduled for June 2010.
The 'train the trainer' series of 7 workshops to build the capacities of Lao Department of Livestock and Fisheries staff in large ruminant production, supported by additional funds obtained from the Australian Crawford Fund, have continued. Two further workshops were held in Luang Prabang: a 2-day biosecurity workshop in July 2009 and a very successful 3-day large ruminant reproduction workshop in March 2010.
Student research projects contributing to the outcomes of the project have continued and assisted definition of the research questions for the PhD project entitled: 'Studies on gastro-intestinal parasites of clinical importance to large ruminants in northern Lao PDR, with special reference to Toxocara vitulorum and Fasciola gigantica'. A prevalence survey on Toxocara infection in buffalo and cattle calves was completed involving district government staff from 5 northern provinces. Participants collected faecal samples and acquired capacities in sample collection, data collection, record keeping and sample submission. With over 800 faecal samples analysed at the Luang Prabang veterinary laboratory, livestock section staff have been provided with considerable experience in faecal sample processing. Initial results indicate that 78% of villages sampled had calves infected with Toxocara
A small abattoir survey to determine health status of large ruminants at slaughter and to develop a protocol for pre and post slaughter inspection of larger ruminants is scheduled for May/June 2010 to be completed by a final year veterinary student from UoS.

This project is researching methodologies to improve the profitability of large ruminant production in Laos to provide small holder farmers with the opportunity to increase their household income. Through a participatory approach a number of interventions that are accepted and can be implemented by farmers in the areas of animal health, nutrition, reproduction management and marketing are being researched. The project works in six villages located in the three northern Lao PDR provinces of Luang Prabang, Houaphan and Xieng Khuang.
National, provincial and district government staff are working with farmers in the six project villages to implement the project. International experts in different fields of large ruminant production based with UoS, CSU, CIAT and private consultants are contributing to the project.
Activities in the third (of four) year were focused on finalising the initial seven training workshop series of the district and provincial government staff with the final 2 workshops being held during 2010 in June and December, completing a further three baseline production data collections in the 6 project sites and continued implementation of interventions, particularly in nutrition, animal health and biosecurity.
The project continues to work in close collaboration with the 'Northern Region Sustainable Livelihood through Livestock Development Project' (or Livestock Development Project (LDP). This is a very large development project being implemented in five northern provinces of Lao and has the same Lao project leader as this ACIAR project, enabling our research to be immediately extended to the LDP by inclusion of LDP staff in our project training programmes.
Implementation, testing and demonstration of interventions effects on productivity (Objective 2) are continuing.
Collection of baseline productivity data occurred an additional three times (April-June 2010, Sep-Nov 20010 and Feb-April 2011) in the six project villages.
All animals enrolled in the project in the six project villages continued to be vaccinated against HS bi-annually
FMD vaccination was done in Xieng Khuang province in October 2010 for the first time again since initial vaccination in 2008 as sourcing vaccine was not possible since and remains difficult. In addition animals in the two LPB province project sites were also vaccinated in April 2011 for the first time as FMD outbreaks occurred nearby in late 2010.
Young calves continue to be treated for toxocariasis throughout the year by project staff and farmers in one of the project villages in each province and farmers are reporting a decrease in calf mortalities. Data collection to quantify calf mortalities due to Toxocara as part of a PhD thesis has been completed and will be analysed during 2011
Forage plots to improve cattle and buffalo nutrition were expanded and established improving with a further 49 households establishing a total of 20ha of forages. The entire forage plot area is now 27 ha amongst 187 households in the project sites.
75 Fattening stalls have been built in the three high intervention villages and are being used for fattening using forages and silage.

Addressing the knowledge gap of farmers that was identified through the first of three planned knowledge surveys (objective 3) in early 2009 through a farmer training program has been delayed due to an accident of a key project staff member by 12 months and is being implemented starting in May 2011 through a three-month long 1/2 day per week farmer training meeting program in the villages. In the meantime district staff have continued farmer training by on the job training through their bi-monthly visits in project villages. Change in knowledge will be measured through further surveys.
The knowledge of the large ruminant supply chain and key drivers in the targeted communities (Objective 4) that was initially assessed through a trader survey in Feb 2009 was run again in December 2010 and Jan 2011 as not enough data could be used from the first survey to develop marketing intervention. Results are still being analysed.
The 'train the trainer' series of 7 workshops to build the capacities of Lao Department of Livestock and Fisheries staff in large ruminant production, supported by additional funds obtained from the Australian Crawford Fund, were finalised with the final workshops being held in June and December 2010.
Student research projects contributing to the outcomes of the project have continued. They include development of a weight band specific for Lao cattle and buffalo, FMD serology surveys to assess the efficacy of vaccination and FMD reporting and control in Lao, analysis of production data, continued research of Toxocara vitulorum and Fasciola gigantica impact, a pilot slaughter house survey in Luang Prabang province in June 2010,followed larger survey in March/April 2011 showing high rates of liver damage (50% cattle; 95% buffalo) and liver fluke infections (25%) as well as high rate of pregnancy (50% in slaughtered cattle and buffalo)
DAFO staff who was trained by the project have gained skills in faecal sample collection and farmer interview techniques and implemented collection, data recording and submission of 1200 faecal samples for liver fluke prevalence study during 2010. The same staff then interviewed around 250 households in Feb 2011 to collect data that will allow assessment of finical and clinical impact of fluke as well as knowledge and attitude of farmers.