2007 Volume 69 Issue 5 Pages 52-61
This paper investigates specific features of cultivation technology for irrigated farming in regard to farm mechanization in Laos. Background issues related to current rice cultivation taking into account the changes caused by technology are discussed. It was found that growth in the use of the walking-type tractor employed for plowing and harrowing operations correlated with the growth of socio-economic conditions and the dissemination of basic technology. In addition, due to the progressive development of irrigation systems including the establishment of the Water Users' Association (WUA), three different modes of farm management determined by three respective categories of machine ownership were recognized. It was observed that those who do not own a cultivating machine tended to find the contract-hire service problematic because the contractor placed higher priority on his own farming needs rather than on those of the customer, sometimes preventing the customer's timely use of the cultivator. This dependence on machinery owned by others may indicate that the entrepreneurial drive has not yet fully-fledged in this rural community.
