LaCSA warns farmers cold weather effect on cultivation

The Lao climate services for agriculture (LaCSA) recently warned farmers to stop planting rice in the dry season from January 14-17 as the cold weather may affect the cultivation.
According to a LaCSA’s weekly weather forecast report on January 13-17 that a cold air mass from China is still spreading over all parts of Laos, combined with strong northeasterly winds, which will cause extreme temperatures, especially in the highlands, mountains and valleys such as the northern provinces, Xaysomboun, and plateau area is very cold with occasional rain.

In the central and southern parts, the weather will be cool to cold with occasional showers in the morning and occasional strong winds in each region.
On 13-17 January 2021, a cold air mass will cover all parts of Laos with moderate force combined with northeasterly winds, which will cause 2 to 4 degrees warmer weather in each region, but still cold in the northern part of the country.
Upland, mountainous area’s, Xaysomboun province and the surrounding plateau will have occasional cover of cold weather during night to morning with occasional strong winds in some places.
Therefore, it has advised farmers of the provinces throughout the country to be aware of the cold weather that may affect the cultivation of upland rice during the dry season, so it is recommended that farmers should postpone planting rice in this period.
Laos Climate Services for Agriculture systems, includes detailing the seasonal forecast for the next six month’s, and showing an example of weekly bulletin’s for farmers.
The system is developed by the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the
United Nations, the implemented SAMIS project now automatically generates weekly bulletins for all districts across the Lao PDR. Producing monthly and weekly forecasts since May 2019, farmers and policymakers in Laos can now access LaCSA to download the weekly forecast in the Lao language for any district.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update January 15, 2021)