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INSIGHTS
MAXIMIZING LIVELIHOODS Community improvement works from the ground up BY FRANCIS SAVANKHAM
T
obacco is a complex but rewarding crop to grow. There are many different stages of the growing cycle that require skill and  dedication from the farmers who are committed to growing tobacco through contracts with Lao Tobacco Limited. Lao Tobacco Limited supports its farmer base with quality materials on loan at the beginning of the growing cycle. For example, fertilizer is provided to all contracted farmers to ensure they can maximize their yields. When farmers achieve best practices, the returns from tobacco have proven to be higher than conventional crops such as rice and sweetcorn. Lao Tobacco provides a stable platform where contracted farmers can maximize yield and quality while providing a stable and guaranteed marketplace for Lao Tobacco farmers to sell their crops. Farmers can also grow other crops on rotation such as rice during the rains as tobacco is growing through the dry season. Lao Tobacco continues to grow tobacco with hundreds of contracted farmers in rural communities and has also started conducting trials with other crops such as cucumbers, long beans, and chilis.
