Farmers to increase exports of dried cassava chips
Farmers to increase exports of dried cassava chips
A major local cassava exporter, Pakxong Development Export-Import Co Ltd in Champassak province, will sharply increase the export of dried cassava chips to Thailand this year after a buyer had recognised the production capacity of local farmers.
“We will export at least 150,000 tonnes of dried cassava chips to a Thai energy developer in Ubon Ratchathani province,” farm owner Ms Inpeng Samuntee said yesterday.
The buyer started with an initial order of 50,000 tonnes last year to see if the Lao producer would be able to meet the requirement. “However we produced more than 70,000 tonnes in excess of the order,” she said.
The buyer amended the original order because of the availability of a larger supply and it is now cooperating with her this year, providing some financial and technical assistance, hoping to increase the supply in the coming years.
“So we are sure we can do the 150,000 tonnes the market demands,” she said.
She is encouraging farmers on the cassava plantations in the southern provinces to finish the product as dried chips. There are now almost 11,000 families growing cassava for her.
She is currently paying the farmers 1,200kip to 1,500kip per kilo for dried cassava chips, despite the fact that “we have given them a guaranteed price of 1,100 kip per kilo,” she said.
The Thai buyer wants the large quantity of dried cassava chips from Champassak to be material for the production of an energy fuel and because “cassava production in Ubon Ratchathani is not enough,” she said.
She said that at the moment the cassava plantation promotion project is doing well in Champassak because the farmers can get an income throughout the year, being able to grow and sell vegetables in the wet season and produce and sell dried cassava chips in the dry season.
Ms Inpeng also operates a 500 hectare organic farm that grows bananas, pineapples, cabbages, asparagus, peppers, lettuces, onions, carrots, radishes, zucchini, potatoes, ginger, chayote, tamarind, coffee and tea.
Currently she produces vegetables for supply to local markets, Vientiane and some provinces.
The farm also has grassland where cattle graze. The animals are reared for their meat and also for the manure they produce, which is used for vegetable cultivation.
The farm uses fertiliser made from animal dung, rice straw, waste vegetables and rice husks.
She also hopes to grow chemical-free sunflowers when the Asean Economic Community (AEC) comes into being, with plans to export the seeds to Japan.
The sunflower farms will be in Khong, Xanasomboun and Bachiengchaleunsouk districts in Champassak province, Lao-ngam district in Saravan province and Thataeng district in Xekong province.
