First watermelons bound for China as export opens
First watermelons bound for China as export opens
China has officially allowed the import of watermelons from Laos after the crop's Lao producers were able to learn how to meet international standards from neighbouring countries.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry organised the export of the first lot of watermelons at a ceremony in Luang Namtha province recently.
The decision comes following the signing of a bilateral agreement on trading commercial crops between the Lao and Chinese governments in China last year.
The decision to allow watermelon imports was also aided by Chinese companies investing in Lao farmers growing the crop.
The first official batch of watermelons exported weighed 600 tonnes.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from Luang Namtha province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Chinese authorities and investment companies, the Department of Agriculture reported.
The ceremony aimed to promote Lao crops being exported under international standards. It was also to recognise the importance of the new agreement with China, which meant the export was supported by all the correct documentation for investment and transportation.
Under the agreement, both sides have selected four commercial crops: sweetcorn, dried cassava, watermelon and banana.
The agreement should make investors more confident in buying crops, as well as giving farmers more sustainable incomes because there is now a stable market to guarantee the price.
It will also encourage more investors to operate their business in Laos, in line with investment laws.
In the past Lao farmers have struggled to sell their crops to Chinese traders because they did not meet standards and did not get suggestions from the companies.
For a period the Chinese companies refused to buy from Lao farmers as the crops were poor quality or they could purchase them more cheaply using border trading methods.
Some of the companies that invested in promoting farms only made contracts with authorities at the local level, which made it difficult for central authorities to know the number of investors.
The department has also had difficulty following the farmers as it lacked detailed information on who was growing watermelons.
It has now required that companies wanting to invest in some areas of Laos must lodge official reports with the director of the relevant sector in the province or the ministry for approval.
vientiane times
