Japan orders thousands of tonnes of Lao organic vegetables
(KPL) ORDERS FROM Japan for an annual purchase of about 6,000 tonnes of chemical-free vegetables from Vientiane Capital but the Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Division is concerned about low quality of the exports.
The list of Lao vegetables on demand in Japan market are lemon grass, mint, citrus hystrix leaves, sweet basil and Chinese vegetable, ginger and galanga. Dr. Lasai Nouansitha, Head of Vientiane Plantation Division continued that since 2004 Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Division had promoted Vientiane farmers in Saythany, Saysettha, Hardsaifong, Sikhottabong and Sisattanark districts to experiment chemical-free plantation of vegetables and fruit trees on 32 hectares, and more than 8,000 hectares have been grown with organic rice. So some 17 groups of organic plantation in these districts have been set up under the technical supports and finance of Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Division with a total cost of 140 million kip.
Without citing the name of or number of restautants, the division chief said that restaurants in Japan have placed orders of 6,000 tonnnes of organic vegetables.
The division chief expressed concern with the exports from Laos for their quality since Laos has not had quality testers yet. So exports from Laos are at risk to be returned.
However the Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Division has further encouraged local farmers to grow vegetables with no chemical residue on vegetables for export.
