Most rice farms await rain, others flood in Laos: reports

The late arrival of seasonal rains is hampering rice planting in much of Laos' upland areas while heavy rainfall has brought record-breaking localized flooding to the country's north-east, local media reports Monday.

Rice farmers in significant proportions of the country's upland areas have postponed planting for fear of poor crops, with potential to raise prices and undercut the country's 2015 production target of some 4.2 million, state-run media Vientiane Times reported.

Meanwhile, unprecedented flash flooding in the country's north- eastern province of Huaphan following heavy rains that began Tuesday evening saw damage to houses, loss of livestock and stores of the staple grain.

Local residents reported a peak flood water depth of 30 meters, a height beyond both living memory and oral tradition in the area, leaving affected villages in need of emergency aid such as rice, drinking water and other food and grocery items.

The follows reports one week ago of a grasshopper plague affecting crops in the northern province of Luang Prabang.

Natural disasters and environmental shocks are a major contributor to localized food insecurity and poverty among vulnerable populations in Laos, affecting maternal and child mortality, nutrition and educational participation according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Endi