“I have had a good harvest, thanks to the shade house that protects my vegetables from exposure to rain and intense sunlight”

I mainly cultivate rice for a living and grow vegetables to supplement my income. Over the past two years, the rising cost of living has had a direct impact on us farmers, who already earn low wages. The income generated from selling rice barely covers our daily expenses. Although I do cultivate vegetables, it doesn’t offer a stable income due to the impact of unpredictable weather conditions, which greatly affect our production.
In November 2022, I was fortunate to join a livelihood recovery program led by HJA in Xaiabouli province. Since my family was already involved in a vegetable growing business but struggling to achieve substantial output, as part of the program, the project stepped in to address the issue by supplying us with valuable resources, including shade house equipment and vegetable seeds.
Since I built the shade house, my income from harvested crops has steadily increased. The shade house has helped protect the vegetables from damage caused by rain and intense sunlight, which has increased my yield. Currently, each harvest generates an income ranging from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 kip for my family.
In the near future, I would like to further expand my shade house in order to cultivate a larger variety of vegetables and sell them for more income.

This is a story of Mrs. Bang Hansana, a resident of Phonxay village in Hongsa district, Sayabouly province. She participated in the shade house cultivation program led by the Huamjai Asasamak Association (HJA) under the CiSAC Project.