Thailand eases limits on import of Xayaboury sweetcorn
Thailand eases limits on import of Xayaboury sweetcorn
Thailan d has relaxed import restrictions and will now allow Xayaboury farmers to sell their sweetcorn to the Kingdom as early in the year as January, a change from the previous ruling that banned sweetcorn imports before March 1.
Xayaboury provincial Governor Mr Phongsavanh Sitthavong revealed the change to local media when attending the recent biannual meeting between the government cabinet, Vientiane mayor and provincial governors in Vientiane.
Previously, the northwestern province had struggled to find Thai markets for its sweetcorn. Thailand is the main importer of Xayaboury's sweetcorn as it borders the province but the prohibition on the sale of the crop prior to March 1 each year was believed to protect the market for the country's own farmers.
This restriction was a problem for Xayaboury's farmers, especially those who had no drying sheds or weatherproof warehouses because the quality of the cobs declined when kept in storage.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and provincial authorities discussed the issue with their Thai counterparts and called for the restriction to be lifted as sweetcorn is Xayaboury's main crop.
The governor said the change in the ruling now resolved the issue but he could not say whether the change would be permanent or would be assessed on a yearly basis.
Last year, Xayaboury produced 299,000 tonnes of sweetcorn, a slight decrease on the previous year.
Mr Phongsavanh said the yield declined because some farmers were rotating their crops and had had grown cassava or Job's-tears instead.
In addition to the lifting of the restriction, the governor said business operators and farmers had built drying sheds and warehouses to keep the sweetcorn dry and maintain its quality.
“Farmers can now dry and store their crops for longer while they wait for the offer of a good price. We don't have any serious concerns now,” he told the media.
Most of the sweetcorn crop grown in the province is exported to Thailand, while some is sold to livestock farms in Vientiane.
While sweetcorn remains the major crop grown in Xayaboury, the governor said cassava and Job's tears were becoming more popular now that processing plants for the two crops had been built.
A tapioca processing plant has been built in Paklai district as well as 10 processing plants for Job's-tears to process the crops for export to China.
Farm exports made a significant contribution to the overall increase in the va lue of the province's exports last fiscal year (2014-15). The export value rose to US$58 million, a slight increase compared to the target for the year, the governor said.
