Vientiane organic farmers request permanent market space
Vientiane organic farmers request permanent market space
Vientiane organic farmers' groups are asking the government to locate a permanent market area for them to sell their crops after public demand for healthy food has risen in recent times.
The groups are currently selling their vegetables on Saturdays and Wednesdays at That Luang esplanade and on Monday afternoons in Chao Fa Ngum Park. However, they have been forced to relocate several times leading to confusion as to where they'll open up next.
A permanent market would encourage more organic farmers to sell their goods, and therefore increase the amount of healthy and safe products on the market, the group President, Mr Thonglor Silamath told Vientiane Times on Tuesday.
Despite having a permanent market, the group looks set to expand and they are regularly accepting new members. Currently, just over 30 percent of vegetable farming in Vientiane is organic.
He said that in 2006 there was only one group with ten members, but now there are 17 organic farmers' groups with more than 150 members farming on almost 200 hectares.
The groups are located in Chanthabouly, Hadxaifong, Xaythany, Xaysettha, Sikhottabong, Naxaithong, Pak Ngum and Sangthong districts and they are growing 1,000 tonnes of produce per year.
More than 50 members have received certificates of organic health from the Department of Agriculture after they passed inspections several times under strict standards, while many others are prospective certificate-holders as they just applied to be group members.
“Each year, we can accept about 20 families but due to limited funding for our own standards inspections we can't take much more,” said Mr Thonglor.
At present, there is a big push to encourage farmers to produce safe and chemically free products to ensure the health of consumers. Currently, the groups are just producing crops for domestic sale but they plan to be exporting produce by 2015, which will require close collaboration with the government, he said.
“To promote our organic products in the future, we will try to register a logo next year through the government.”
Many projects in Xieng Khuang, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Champassak are looking to learn lessons about how to produce and sell organic crops through the group.
He explained that many Lao families and visitors to Vientiane want to buy organic vegetables from the groups as concern for their overall health and wellbeing grows.
The government is also directing the relevant sectors to promote the consumption of safe products and this may bolster future exports to Asean countries.
Although Laos has significant space in which to cultivate organic crops, it is still facing challenges and competition from other countries in the region.
vientiane times
