Laos: Brunei eyes rice purchase from Laos
Brunei eyes rice purchase from Laos
Wednesday, 10 August 2016 – The Sultanate of Brunei, one of the biggest oil suppliers in the region, has expressed its interest in purchasing rice products from Laos.
This interest was expressed by the Brunei Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, MrPehin Lim Jock Seng during a bilateral meeting with Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce, MsKhemmaniPholsena at the 48th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings in Vientiane last week.
Laos is one of the rice growers in Asean with annual rice exports to Vietnam, Thailand, China and some countries in Europe such as England, France and Belgium at about 300,000-400,000 tonnes per year.
However the country is still facing challenges encouraging more farmers to expand their commercial production as many rice farmers are only interested in growing enough rice to meet their family’ s needs.
Laos is currently able to produce about 4.1 million tonnes of rice, of which over one million tonnes is surplus consumption. Read More?