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Banana snack maker awaits loan approval
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| These baked bananas were available in Vientiane mini-marts until recently. |
A Luang Prabang snack manufacturer hopes to secure a loan of 12 billion kip from Nayoby Bank within the next three months to upgrade the manufacture of banana products.
“We are waiting for final approval from the provincial authorities and the bank's local branch,” said company director Mr Khattaphone Phommapan-gna yesterday.
Mr Khattaphone will invest the money in a new factory in Pak-ou district and in a banana plantation after being encouraged to increase production by local and foreign customers.
Construction of the plant will begin as soon as the loan is approved; the project is set to take nine months to complete.
Mr Khattaphone is preparing to import processing machines and equipment from China, Thailand and Germany and is aiming the increased production “at the European Union market”.
The products must reach international standards for distribution to the European market.
The company will also export to China and will team up with technicians from international standards' organisations in the EU who will work with the manufacturer on product standards.
“I have had initial negotiations with buyers, but no agreements have been signed,” he said.
Mr Khattaphone stopped production for over a year to prepare for the project, which includes the new factory and will see the introduction of banana juice and powder products.
The new products, to be named ‘B-Bon', will be aimed at stomachache sufferers and coffee drinkers.
He completed all the loan application documents in 2010, but “the provincial sector is working quite slowly or has been delayed,” he said.
The company produces various kinds of banana-based snacks, including baked and sweetened products such as banana chips, jam and rolls.
The soon-to-be-launched banana juice will be similar to honey in flavour, but will smell like banana. It can be used to replace sugar in cooking, tea, coffee and other drinks. It will be good for those who cannot eat sugar and honey.
The other new product, banana powder, will be supplied to noodle and snack manufacturers following advice from a Japanese technician - this type of product is common in the Philippines.
The company will also produce instant foods that just require the addition of hot water, similar to imported instant foods.
It will mainly source materials from farmers in the five poor districts of Phoukhoun, Phonxay, Pakxaeng, Viengkham and Phonthong, after providing them with cash, saplings, training and methodology to ensure quality control.
Mr Khattaphone said he sources bananas from about 2,000 hectares. At present, however, the farmers are selling their crop to local markets and other buyers due to the halt in production.
The new factory will have the capacity to process 90 tonnes of products per day.
Until recently, Mr Khattaphone supplied banana snacks to Lao Airlines to serve on flights and to mini-marts in Vientiane and Luang Prabang.
He learnt to make the snacks in 2008 during a cooperative project between Luang Prabang province and Phitsanulok province, Thailand.
The company's snacks have received good manufacturing practice certification from Thailand.
vientiane times
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