Khammouane, Lao PDR ( June 24, 2015) Prior to the 4th EWEC Project Steering Committee (PSC) Meeting, MI Director Dr. Watcharas Leelawath and PSC members visited EWEC project site in Khammouane Province, Lao PDR on June 24, 2015. The PSC members visited two rice millers and one Agriculture Research & Development Center in Khammouane Province, and had a constructive discussion on ways forward to ensure a smooth project implementation and to benefit the local farmers. The PSC members are delighted to know that local farmers had increased the awareness and also the income by joining the farmers group and cooperating with the rice millers. 

The delegates consist of Vice governor of Khammouane Province, SDC representative, PSC Members from Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, as well as local project coordinators and MI staff. 

Funded by the Swiss Agency of Development and Cooperation (SDC), the EWEC project aims to improve the economic situation of smallholder farmers and SMEs through better access to commercial agriculture value chains along the EWEC, and eventually to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable growth in GMS. The EWEC project currently focuses on three specific agricultural value chains in three targeted regions: rice value chain in Khammouane Province of Lao PDR, coffee value chain in Quang Tri Province of Vietnam and maize value chain in Kayin State of Myanmar.