Farmers' market aims to sell top quality produce
Farmers' market aims to sell top quality produce
The first Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) market marquee, provided with JICA's assistance, officially opened last week for the sale of farm produce to the people of Nongkhouay village and other communities in Viengkham district, Vientiane province.
The new market is currently opening three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at the Viengkham market place which is located in the grounds of the provincial Department of Industry and Commerce, alongside the main road. This area will soon become a permanent market.
District authorities say a wide range of vegetables, including lettuce, morning glory, tomatoes, chillies and long beans grown by farmers in Nongkhouay village are available for sale to anyone passing by.
Head of the GAP farmers' group Mr Bounorm Southammavong told Vientiane Times on Monday the prices of their vegetables are similar to those on sale in general markets. Most of the vegetables grown and sold in the market are produced using fertiliser which has been certified by the Ministry of Health's Food and Drugs Department.
He said many buyers have told him that vegetables such as long beans, garlic, tomatoes, morning glory, cucumbers and cabbages were clean and healthy even though fertiliser had been applied.
“Over the course of a week in a refrigerator, our vegetables will always keep better than those bought from general markets,” Mr Bounorm said.
Nongkhouay village farmers' group was one of the first pilot farm groups to be granted GAP certification.
The project aims to increase the number of certified GAP groups while upholding GAP certification standards in Vientiane and Vientiane province.
The agricultural component of the Laos Pilot Programme for Narrowing the Development Gap towards Asean Integration collaboratively operated by the Clean Agricultural Development Centre and JICA has been making efforts to introduce the Lao GAP since 2012, to be aligned with the Asean GAP standard. The Asean GAP is a voluntary standard for good agricultural practice during the production, harvesting and postharvest handling of fresh fruit and vegetables in the Asean region.
Practices in the Asean GAP are aimed at preventing or minimising the risk of hazards occurring. The hazards covered by the Asean GAP include food safety, environmental impacts, worker health, safety and welfare, and produce quality.
A GAP demonstration farm was established at the Clean Agricultural Development Centre and fully utilised for the practical training of officials and target farmers.
Under GAP's initial activities, 26 groups comprised of 738 farmers have been organised as pilot GAP farm groups.
