More Laos Mentoring
March 9, 2020
Dr Helen Scott-Orr, our NSW Committee coordinator, has provided us with this update of the current visit to Laos by our long-term mentor, Dr Lester Burgess.
Lester is currently in Laos again for 6 weeks to early March, mainly working with the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (PAFO) staff for Champasak province in Pakse. Lester and his team of Australian and Lao colleagues and volunteers are working with smallholders to identify and deal with disease and pest problems and to help develop existing and new fruit and vegetable industries.
This month, Lester oversaw the application of Crawford Fund’s funds to help repair of the small Pakse diagnostic laboratory that had been flood-damaged in September 2019, and the operations of a nearby Fruit Tree Field Station to increase its provision of disease-free nursery stock to farmers.
He also coordinated and mentored a program of visits and related activities by other mentors and an Australian Volunteers Program volunteer, Jillian Lyell, for whomour Tasmanian Committee kindly provided some operating funds. Other mentors supported by the NSW CF Committee were Dr Nerida Donovan, citrus pathologist from NSW DPI, and Dr Sally Cowan, entomologist from the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy in Cairns. Both conducted field visits and training while they were there.
Also special about this visit is that it was Lester’s birthday during his stay!
“Significant biosecurity outcomes for both Lao and Australia are emerging from these visits, as well as both journal and conference publications, all including at least one Lao author,” reported Helen, who was the inaugural Inspector-General of Biosecurity.
Below are some photos along the way and Lester will have a full report for us when he returns. We will also hear from Dr Deirdre Lemerle, who is also busy in Laos on a further 2-week visit to work with Lao authorities and the Australian Volunteer Program on completion of the current volunteers’ assignments and plans for selection of and work for new volunteers. We are particularly pleased that in addition to our support for the lab in Pakse, Charles Sturt University is providing equipment for a new soils lab being developed in Savannakhet at PAFO.
