The start of the coffee bean harvesting season in southern Laos is facing a labor shortage due to low wages and high inflation in the country. Workers are opting for better-paying jobs in Thailand or cassava farms, rather than the $10-13 a day they earn picking coffee beans in Champassak province’s Paksong district. Coffee growers in the district typically need 400-600 workers for the harvest. Coffee is a major cash crop for small-scale farmers in Laos and is the country’s third-largest agricultural export product, reaching over 26 countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Laos’ coffee heartland is on the Bolaven Plateau, known for its nutrient-rich soil and cool climate, with coffee farms mainly located in Champassak, Sekong, and Salavan provinces. While inflation rates in Laos have reached nearly 25%, driving laborers to seek higher-paying jobs in Thailand, some coffee farm owners have raised wages to attract more workers, doubling the pay to $15-20 a day. The labor shortage in Laos’ coffee industry began in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to difficulties in finding seasonal laborers.
Translated by Phouvong for RFA Laos. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.