Laos
Mangkone Sananikone attended the NESFP training class in 2006.
Farmer Profile —Mangkone Sananikone
Sananikone Mangkone (known as Ajahn Mangkone), originally from Laos, attended the NESFP training class in 2006. Ajahn Mangkone is a Buddhist monk who shares a ranch-style home with other monks, on a 2.25-acre property in Westford, Massachusetts. The monks have converted an adjacent free-standing garage for use as a Buddhist temple.
Ajahn Mangkone's purpose in attending the NESFP classes was to learn about production techniques to use on the temple grounds. The property serves as a production plot for vegetables which are distributed to the temple congregation. These crops are grown by Ly Khoxay, originally from Cambodia, who also graduated from the 2006 NESFP training class. Ly, a member of the temple congregation, manages their crop of string beans, tomatoes, peppers and herbs and other vegetables. Both Ly and Ajahn Mangkone meet regularly with NESFP Technical Assistance Coordinator McKenzie Boekholder, to learn about techniques to maximize production so that food can be supplied to their congregation.
Country Facts
Laos, one of the last remaining communist states, is also one of the poorest countries in the world. After centuries of gradual decline of the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, Laos came under the control of Siam until it became a part of French Indochina. In 1975, Communist forces under the leadership of Pathet Lao overthrew the monarchy and took control of the government and enforced a strict communist regime aligned with Vietnam. Laos has seen the gradual return of private enterprise since 1986.
Location: Southeastern Asian, northeast of Thailand
Capital: Vientiane
Area: Slightly larger than Utah, with a total land area of 236,800 sq km, Land: 230,800 sq km, Water: 6,000 sq km
Climate: Tropical with a monsoon season
Terrain: Mostly rugged mountains
Land Use: Arable land: 3.8%, Permanent crops: 0.35%
Irrigated Land: 1,640 sq km, varying with the rainy season
Environmental Issues: Deforestation, soil erosion, poor water quality
Population: 6,217,141
Life Expectancy: 55.08 years
GDP per capita: $390
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 83
Ethnic Groups: Lao Loum (lowland), Lao Theung (upland), Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao
Languages: Lao, French, English, and various ethnic languages
Major Religions: Buddhism, animism, and others
Agriculture
Laos remains a country with a primitive infrastructure; it has no railroads, a rudimentary road system (although the government has done some work to improve this), and limited external and internal telecommunications. Subsistence agriculture provides 80% of total employment. Most of this is done using the technique of swiddening (slash and burn). Religion is quite tied to agriculture and practices such as asking spirits to leave a site before planting, and making an offering of incense and a chicken after the harvest are common.
Agriculture Products: Sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry
Traditional Foods
Laos has a tradition of using many sour or pickled preserves because of the shortage of salt in the country. Meats and fish are used in small amounts as enhancements (though fish sauces are common). Popular fruits are bananas, mangos, pineapples, coconuts, lichees, and jackfruit. Fresh milk and cheese are typically unavailable and seldom eaten due to lactose intolerance. Relatively few households in Laos eat sweets. Most are not equipped with ovens to bake desserts. A steamed rice cake may be eaten occasionally.
Breakfast: light soup with rice, pumpkin, vegetables, chicken, or pork (eaten very early)
Lunch: non-glutinous rice, fried or steamed meat, pork, chicken, or beef (eaten at 12:00 noon or before).
