Lao salt producer hopes to ink export deal with Middle East
Lao salt producer hopes to ink export deal with Middle East
An exporter of Lao salt, the Veunkham Salt Co Ltd in Xaythany district, Vientiane, hopes to export to Middle East markets in the future after the salt was displayed at a fair in the Middle East recently.
“Currently the Middle East markets are interested in Lao salt and this is a good opportunity to get another large market,” the company's Managing Director, Ms Bounthavy Chounlamany told Vientiane Times .
“Once we have the Halal certification on the packaging, buyers will really want to have the product.”
But the company cannot supply the Middle East market at present because it is still required to meet the Halal standard and certification from the Middle East's Halal Food Group.
Halal is one of the international quality or standard production systems that the company aims to obtain so that it can display it on its product.
Ms Bounthavy said the product packaging and other production lines are costly, so if the company hopes to supply the product to a regional market, it must meet the quality or standards of that market's requirements.
“We also have to work and cooperate with buyers for about two or three years to ensure the requirements will be suitable for that market, including packaging, s, language or labelling and colour,” she said.
“Including production in a small quantity to test the market and we have to take time and wait for comments from consumers.”
So the product must be improved in line with market requirements. “For our success, once we meet Halal standards we will have a large market,” Ms Bounthavy said.
Currently the company's production must meet a certain standard because it is focusing on the export markets which offer a better price.
It is improving its management structure and product quality with a view to boosting exports. In terms of product certification, the company only has a salt quality certificate from the Ministry of Health since it began operations back in 1996.
Recognising the need for international certification, the company is now working towards the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) and International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) quality guarantees.
These would give the company a competitive edge and allow expansion into the Asean and East Asian markets.
Ms Bounthavy was certain that these certificates would enable the company to increase exports. She is currently working with international organisations to improve their operations and prepare for inspections that would monitor and certify product quality.
“Some Asean and East Asian nations such as Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan and the Republic of Korea are interested in our products because they are chemical free and natural but they still have to be certified as meeting international standards,” she added.
