Saravan farmers urge authorities to control cassava price
Saravan farmers urge authorities to control cassava price
Saravan province: Cassava farmers are asking Saravan provincial authorities to control the price of cassava, urging for it to be kept at 1,000 kip per kilogramme after it recently fell to 800-900 kip.
Deputy Head of the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Department, Mr Thongdy Chanthavong, told Vientiane Times yesterday that many farmers are asking the authorities to regulate the price of cassava and find other ways to deal with the problem.
“However, we also have to understand that the price paid by buyers for cassava grown by our farmers is based on the world market rate. So, we cannot only look at just one side; we have to find a better solution that balances the interests of buyers and sellers,” he explained.
He said the province currently had 8,230 hectares of cassava under cultivation and had harvested 70 percent, with one hectare yielding 26 to 30 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the price for raw cassava after harvest was now 400 kip per kg and dry cassava 800-900 kip per kg, with farmers wanting to increase the price for the two by 100 kip.
Mr Thongdy said cassava was mostly planted in April and ready for harvest eight months later with most of the province 's produce sold to Thai buyers who use it to produce tapioca, make bio gas, and for other purposes.
“Our province has carried out surveys on extending the area of cassava cultivation, up to 35,000 hectares,” he added.
He explai ned that the province still needed to introduce new techniques to help farmers with planting and lifting yields with most land currently producing only one cassava crop a year on a rotational basis.
“The province has currently allowed an area of land to be used for a Thai company concession, which has submitted documents. They need to build a processing factory but haven't begun construction yet,” he said.
The Governor of Vapi district, who also represents cassava farmers, Mr Langsy Chanthamaly, said “The farmers in our district want the authorities as well as the government to help them to control the price of cassava and maintain it at no lower than 1,000 kip per kg. If it goes below this price, our farmers will receive little or no benefit.”
A resident of the Len village group in Lao-ngam district, Mr Bounnong Souvinai, said “We would like the government to help us control the price of cassava because our dry cassava price has decreased from 1,200 kip per kg last year to 900 kip per kg this year. We have invested a lot of money to plant cassava for little reward.”
