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Xayaboury farmers switching from sweetcorn to cassava
Farmers in Xayaboury province may reduce the amount of sweetcorn they grow for export this year and grow cassava instead to supply a nearby processing plant.
Provincial authorities expect that sweetcorn growers will make the switch to cassava in the upcoming wet season, saying that cassava is likely to prove more profitable.
Last year, many sweetcorn farmers began growing more cassava as they were concerned about problems with the Thai market, according to a report from the Industry and Commerce Department. Now cassava looks even more promising after a Chinese company opened a processing facility in the province recently.
The factory has the capacity to produce 250 tonnes of tapioca a day from at least 300 tonnes of cassava, department Director Mr Somdy Souksavath told Vientiane Times yesterday.
Provincial farmers grew about 4,000 hectares of cassava last year, which left room for more to be planted this year to meet the factory's needs, he said.
Last wet season, the provincial authorities hoped farmers would be able to grow 60,000 hectares of sweetcorn. They exceeded production targets slightly, planting out 60,900 hectares in total. They harvested about 400,000 tonnes, Mr Somday said, but there were now lingering doubts about the viability of the crop.
The Thai market has traditionally been the main destination for sweetcorn and other crops grown in Xayaboury province. About 90 percent of the sweetcorn grown in the province is exported to Thailand, which borders Xayaboury, allowing relatively easy access to Thai markets.
Recently, sweetcorn traders have had problems exporting the crop to Thailand, after the government introduced a temporary tax on food imports to protect domestic farmers.
Most of the remaining previous sweetcorn harvest is now being held in storage by traders until it can be sold to Thailand between March 1 and June 30, Mr Somdy said. The department is now advising traders and farmers on the best methods of storage to ensure the crop is still in good condition when the time comes to sell it.
Mr Somdy believes that some farmers are likely to opt to grow cassava in view of the uncertain market for sweetcorn. Most of those growers are in Paklai and Kaenthao districts, as they are close to markets within the province.
Sweetcorn will remain an important staple for the province, however, and to ensure that this year's harvest is of good quality, provincial officials are working with domestic and foreign companies to set up five commercial dryers, which have a combined capacity of more than 200,000 tonnes per year, Mr Somdy said.
Last year, Xayaboury farmers produced more than 400,000 tonnes of sweetcorn, of which over 300,000 tonnes was sold to Thailand, while the rest went to domestic markets, mainly in Vientiane.
Sweetcorn is currently sellin g in the province for 1,000-1,200 kip per kilogramme, depending on farmers' distance from the market, he said. Cassava meanwhile, a much heavier crop, sells for about 400 kip per kilogramme, according to the department's domestic section.
vientiane times
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