Burapha carves out export niche with wooden furniture
Burapha carves out export niche with wooden furniture
Burapha Agro-Forestry Company Limited recorded steady growth in sales of its wooden furniture products in Europe and Ame rica last year.
A company representative, Mr Phanom Chansombath, told Vientiane Times during the Wood and Furniture Exhibition at Lao-ITECC in Vientiane last week that this year's growth would be on par with 2014 as the c ompany had contracts with foreign buyers that ran from year to year.
However, sales of wood furniture were expected to grow up to 5 percent in 2015 as the company was expanding into Asia and focusing on domestic marketing.
In 2012-13 the company earned US$650,000 from the export of wood products to markets in Europe, America, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.
Mr Phanom said the company supplied outdoor furniture and decking made from eucalyptus, acacia and teak, with thousands of hectares of plantations supplying the raw material.
As the company's exports grow, it plans to plant more trees in new areas of Xaysomboun province, after planting in Xaythany and Sangthong districts of Vientiane and Hinheup district in Vientiane province.
The company expects to expand its plantations by more than 1,000 hectares this year if everything goes to plan. This will also boost the employment prospects for farmers in these areas.
The company currently produces different types of wooden chairs, tables and other wood products. It is expected there will be higher demand from both the local and foreign markets fuelled by the continuing growth of interior decorating and construction.
Mr Phanom believed there would be more opportunities for growth when Laos joins the Asean Economic Community at the end of this year. He predicted that increased investment in the construction industry would boost the demand for wooden furniture and interior decor products.
