Phongsaly to become major agricultural exporter
Phongsaly to become major agricultural exporter
Phongsaly, once the most isolated and poorest province in Laos, will become a major exporter of agricultural produce thanks to significant government efforts to boost investment in the region.
With support from the government the province has chosen eight agricultural products to grow, sell and export as commercial goods to improve living conditions and generate provincial economic development.
Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department official, Mr Thongsavanh Thammavong, said the province had marked rice as a priority yield, with 77 villages in Bounneua, Bountay, Nhot-ou and May districts se t to improve rice productivity.
He said another focus was rubber trees, a reasonably untapped resource in the area. Currently there are around 17,800ha of rubber trees throughout the province, of which only 60ha are tapped. That number is expected to increase next year.
Tea will be another major point of focus with about 2,600ha of tea crops already planted in the province supplying five small processing manufacturers, Mr Thongsavanh said.
This year the province has already processed about 800 tonnes of dry tea, of which 300 tonnes have been exported to China and Malaysia with the excess supplying the domestic market.
The province also plans to encourage farmers and business operators to grow about 13,000ha of coffee, with only 1,600ha currently planted.
Various dry season crops including melon, beans and eggplant are a current seasonal focus with local farmers expected to grow about 4,500ha for sale.
Farmers in Phongsaly have already planted 3,280ha of cardamom, which have provided 400 tonnes of production and received about 120 billion kip this year alone.
The cardamom crops also work to protect the environment and conserve forest areas, Mr Thongsavanh said.
Provincial authorities are encouraging farmers to look to livestock breeding, with several families starting to raise their levels of cattle and goats for sale and export.
Non-timber products will also be exported from natural resources native to the area which have been a source of income in the past.
In addition to the boost in agricultural development, this fiscal year the government has approved expenditure of 66 billion kip for infrastructure development, village restructuring and agriculture promotion in the province.
vientiane times
