Big Japanese demand for Lao silk, cotton goods
Big Japanese demand for Lao silk, cotton goods
Lao traditional silk and cotton products are still in great demand in the Japanese market, although orders for raw silk and cotton have gone down.
The Thonglahasin Company in Savannakhet province, which is a Lao silk and cotton products producer and has been in the business for almost 20 years, reported that in the last few years they have received orders for large quantities of products that they are currently unable to supply.
“The main reason for our inability is that we have been working with local craftsmen to produce the products by traditional handmade methods and we also have a shortage of raw material for our processing,” company Director Ms Songbandith Yotmunkhong told Vientiane Times last week.
They type of products they are mostly buying are home decoration items such as cushions, textile covers and blankets that are made from silk and cotton dyed in natural colours.
“The company is selling its products to 10 ten Japanese firms, each of which buys different types of handicrafts,” she said.
“Some of them purchase scarves, some order bags and some need the type of items that go in a woman's handbag.”
The company currently has groups of craftsmen working in Xayphouthong, Songkhone, Thapangthong and Xonbouly districts in Savannakhet province, with each group making different types of product.
To meet the increasing future demand, the company plans to build a factory and g ather together the groups of dyers, weavers and sewers to produce the products in one place rather than in separate locations as at present, she explained.
“The company is also asking assistance from its Japanese customers to help with identifying higher technology equipment that will enable us to produce the goods faster as well as to help with the capacity building of the craftsmen,” Ms Songbandith said.
To help textile producers produce it ems suitable for export, the Lao H andicraft Association is coordinating with the government and international organisations as well as the private sector to boost promotion of the products.
The World Bank this year will provide funding to support strengthen ing the Lao silk industry by encouraging more farmers to plant mulberry trees and raise silkworms and to encourage textile producers to improve their standards and get more farmers involved in the industry, association President, Mr Hanesana Sisane, said recently.
Through cooperation between the association and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JATRO), he believed that Lao handicraft products may soon become well known in markets around the world.
“JATRO will provide assistance to Laos by selecting a range of handicraft products from eight companies manufacturing to designs created in Japan which are then displ ayed there to attract buyers from all around the world when they come to attend the various sales promotions next year,” he said.
“After this experience it will be easier for the Lao manufacturers to know which kinds of product are more suitable for the worlds markets and which for Japan.”
The silk handicrafts industry plays a significant role in the national economy.
With a long tradition of int ricate hand-woven designs and natural dyes, the high qual ity of Lao silk handicrafts is gaining promine nce throughout the world.
vientiane times
