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Xayaboury eyes slump in sweetcorn exports
Xayaboury provincial authorities believe the amount of sweetcorn exported to neighbouring countries will decrease this year.
Officials say this is because other commercial crops are being cultivated and some sweetcorn farms suffered damage during tropical storm Haima.
About 400 hectares of sweetcorn were destroyed by the storm, and 4,000 hectares of land will be given over to cassava this year, provincial agriculture section head Mr Saiphet Chanthalangsy told Vientiane Times yesterday.
“Some sweetcorn farmers in Paklai district, particularly in Kaenthao, Botaen, Thongmixay and Phieng villages, have started growing cassava, which will be ready to harvest when the factory begins processing at the end of this year.”
Last year, provincial farmers grew sweetcorn on more than 61,000 hectares and obtained yields of 300,000-400,000 tonnes, while this year the agriculture section is planning for only 60,000 hectares, Mr Saiphet said.
“Farmers are presently growing sweetcorn on about 52,000 hectares but we are waiting for updated figures from some district authorities,” he said.
help cassava farmers affected by the storm, provincial authorities plan to supply seeds so that farmers can replant their crops.
Xayaboury is a major sweetcorn producer and sells the majority of the crop to Thailand, a nation with which Laos shares a long-standing trading relationship, while the rest is sold to Vietnamese traders, said Mr Saiphet.
He believes the effects of the storm will result in many farmers seeing a drop in their income level and experiencing a decline in their standard of living.
In the past, sweetcorn farmers have had to face many challenges because of weather extremes and trade barriers but export production is highly sustainable, according to local authorities.
For example, farmers suffered when the Thai government imposed an import tax on sweetcorn this year, but continue to grow the crop.
Xayaboury authorities are trying to improve sweetcorn storage facilities so producers can store their crops for longer when there is a surplus in the marketplace.
The Industry and Agriculture Company in Thoulakhom district, Vientiane province, was similarly affected by the storm, which caused the Ngum River to overflow and flood about 600 hectares of sweetcorn farms in the district, resulting in damages of about 500 million kip.
Most of the area's farmers are supported by the company, which provides seeds, fertiliser and funding to promote sweetcorn cultivation for export, according to local media.
The storm also impacted sweetcorn farms in the northern provinces of Huaphan and Xieng Khuang.
vientiane times
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