Improve Lao textiles to compete abroad
Improve Lao textiles to compete abroad
The Lao Handicraft Association is calling on textile producers to reduce the use of chemical colouring to increase the competitiveness of Lao products in international markets.
Association President, Mr Hanesana Sisane, said textiles made from silk and cotton dyed with natural colours were popular and worth more in European and regional markets as they looked better and were more environmentally-friendly.
He said European and Japanese markets would not accept products dyed with chemicals.
“We can easily buy chemicals to dye silk and cotton and make a variety of textile products, but with natural colours we have to spend time and use natural herbs and products,” Mr Hanesana said.
Many textile producers use chemical colouring to create Lao-style patterns as it allows them to supply textiles faster and in greater quantities than with natural colours.
However Mr Hanesana said a number of producers had switched to natural so as to export their products internationally.
Additional silk would also be required to boost the Lao textile export industry, and the association is also encouraging more farmers to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms.
Mr Hanesana said Laos currently imports about 80 percent of its silk from China, Vietnam and Thailand.
He said Laos had no lack of land suitable for breeding silkworms but most farmers could not look ahead to see the sustainability of the industry, choosing to focus on commercial crops with fast turnovers like sweetcorn and cassava instead.
In 2010 the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's Trade and Product Promotion Department received funding from the World Bank to strengthen the Lao silk industry, but Mr Hanesana said the project had not yet been fully successful.
The World Bank will continue to support the sector this year to help textile producers create goods worthy of export.
The Lao Handicraft Association is the main body implementing projects to encourage textile producers to improve their standards and farmers to get involved in the industry. The silk handicrafts sector continues to play a vital role in the national economy.
With a long tradition of intricate hand-woven designs and natural dyes, the high quality of Lao silk handicrafts is gaining prominence throughout the world.
This is stimulating demand in regional and international markets and increasing opportunities for domestic producers.
vientiane times
