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Govt calls on tapioca maker to ensure healthy cassava crop
Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong has urged a major tapioca producer, the Lao Indochina Group Public Company Tapioca Factory, to teach farmers the most efficient way to grow cassava.
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| Mr Sengmaly Sengvatthana ( second right ) explains the tapioca production process to Mr Thongsing Thammavong ( first right ). |
“The latest farming techniques ensure that the soil is kept rich and fertile. This will improve the cassava harvest both in terms of quantity and quality, and will provide a larger and sustainable supply of the crop to the factory,” Mr Thongsing said.
Mr Thongsing visited the factory on Friday during a trip to Pakngum district, Vientiane, to learn about the district's development progress, including people's living conditions, their production activities, the progress made in healthcare, security and various development projects, and also to hear how last year's floods affected the district.
“The tapioca factory may encounter difficulties if farms turn out low yields and poor quality cassava,” he said.
The Prime Minister advised the company to cooperate more closely with related sectors and train farmers in the best crop growing methods, including soil nutrition.
“Rich soil will ensure the production of high quality cassava, which is very important,” he said.
The company now has 7,689 hectares under cassava cultivation, which provides employment opportunities for over 2,713 families in 171 villages. It plans to expand cultivation to 10,500 hectares this year.
Company Chairman Mr Sengmaly Sengvatthana told Mr Thongsing the company had paid more than 2,000 farming families about 40.8 billion kip for their cassava crop last year. This figure included 9.8 billion kip for Sangthong district farmers in Vientiane, 6.5 billion kip for Hom district farmers in Vientiane province, 3.4 billion kip for Borikhan district farmers in Borikhamxay province, and 21 billion kip to other farmers.
“Each family is paid an average of 15 million kip per season,” Mr Sengmaly said.
Last year, the company paid VAT of 65 million kip, salary tax of 75 million kip, and provided assistance to local communities worth 522 million kip.
The company has asked the government to give it an additional land concession of 15,000 hectares, so that more cassava can be grown to boost tapioca production.
“These 15,000 hectares include 5,000 hectares in Pakngum district and 10,000 hectares in Borikhamxay province,” Mr Sengmaly said.
Some 90 percent of the factory's output is exported to China while the rest is sold locally. Chinese buyers have asked for over 300,000 tonnes of tapioca per year, but the plant can currently produce only about 320 tonnes per day.
The company will also build another factory in Borikhamxay province, for which land is now being cleared.
Other factories that produce tapioca are located in Lau-ngam district, Saravan province, and Meun district in Vientiane province. The output is sold to both local and overseas customers. The KPN Tapioca Factory operates in Champassak province.
vientiane times
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