Giving back is the key to success.

A good company is measured by the well-being of those who rely on it for their livelihoods. If people are well cared for, the enterprise will thrive. Lao Tobacco Limited has established a synergetic relationship with its network of contracted farmers. This relationship offers a gateway for tobacco farmers to get their crops to the market. But it is not just a simple transaction at harvest time. Lao Tobacco invests throughout the year in multiple programs to benefit the lives of the farmers.

Reliance on monocropping can bring risks to farmers. Other crops can help sustain farming families throughout the year. Since 2018, Lao Tobacco has also supplied 100% of the contracted farmer base with fruit trees such as mango, lime, and coconut trees as a potential complement to sources of revenue and nutrition. Lao Tobacco Limited is also conducting small vegetable trials such as beans, sweetcorn, cucumber, chilies, and cassava with farmers to gather information about how vegetables can be used to help support farms.

Lao Tobacco will also support the contracted farmer with personal protective equipment for crop production to ensure that safety standards are upheld on the farm. There is also a robust reporting system in place to ensure health and safety matters on farms related to growing are relayed to the leaf production management team.

This strong commitment to strengthening and improving farmers’ lives is a paramount core value of Lao Tobacco’s core values.

Text By Francis Savankham