Mrs Inpeng Xamounty speaks to the local media while attending a workshop on the services of the Laos-China Railway.

Cassava exporters to use Laos-China Railway

Lao exporters of cassava are looking to send their goods to foreign markets, especially the Chinese market, via the Laos-China Railway in  future to reduce costs.
“Currently, we export cassava to Thailand via the Vangtao-Chongmek border checkpoint in Champassak province. However, the products are mainly destined for the Chinese Market, and so it is better to use the Laos-China Railway,” the President of the Lao Cassava Association, Mrs Inpeng Xamounty, said.
Mrs Inpeng told the local media last week during a workshop on the services of the Laos-China Railway that most of the cassava exported to Thailand is destined for the Chinese market.
“Last year, the quantity of cassava exported to Thailand touched almost two million tonnes including dry and wet cassava and it is also expected to reach two million tonnes in the coming months. However, the taxes and tariffs at the Vangtao Dry Port are high and it takes a lot of time for goods to be processed prior to export,” she said.
The export of agricultural products should take less time than other goods, because cassava and other products can easily rot.
“With the use of the Laos-China Railway’s freight trains, it will save time to reach the foreign markets and also ensure that expenses on taxes and tariffs are much lower,” Mrs Inpeng said.
In first six months of 2022, Laos earned almost US$ 250 million by exporting cassava, making the commodity a top earner among agricultural products, according to the Lao Trade Portal.
Laos earned a total of US$265.5 million from cassava exports last year.  It earned more than US$870 million from the export of agricultural produce over the past six months of this year, equalling 72.57 percent of the target for the whole of 2022, according to a report by a government official at a recent National Assembly session.
The main farm products exported were bananas, rubber, cassava, sugarcane, cattle and buffaloes, with China being the largest importer.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update September 5, 2022)