Lao herbal products eye regional opportunities
Lao herbal products eye regional opportunities
Makers of organic herbal products are looking for growth opportunities in overseas markets following the government push to market their goods under the One District, One Product banner.
Owner of Varn Leu Sy Herbal Products, Ms Phouvi, explained recently that Lao organic products were now attracting interest on both the domestic and international markets as the government is encouraging producers to develop and improve their offerings for customers.
She expected to experience growth as Lao consumers have become more health conscious and anticipated her production to increase in the years ahead.
Ms Phouvi also believed Lao organic herbal products would still find space in overseas markets if the government continued encouraging local businesses to improve the quality of their products and to use more attractive packaging.
She plans to work on improving her product's quality so it can be certified by the Food and Drug Department as a One District, One Product item, which will also assist with marketing.
A herbal drink owner maker, Ms Sone, said Laos could take advantage of overseas market opportunities because the nation is full of natural ingredients which can made into healthy products.
Ms Sone stressed that Laos joining the Asean Economic Community last year meant that producers had to focus on regional as well as domestic markets.
Ms Kesone said Lao organic products were becoming increasingly well known and accepted in international markets because of their quality and organic production methods.
She believed this would allow Lao organic herbal products to compete in the region.
An official from the Lao Organic Agriculture Group said the number of farmers and consumers of organic products has grown significantly since the government launched the ODOP project in 2004.
The group is now expanding and promoting organic agriculture on a larger scale, hoping to see Lao farmers exporting produce and carving out a niche in the regional market with a reputation for being clean and green.
