Farmers ask govt to find market for agarwood

Villagers in Huaphan province have appealed for government assistance in finding markets for their agarwood which they have been growing since 2011, as they cannot find any buyers.

They called the National Assembly hotline recently, saying local authorities had encouraged people in Vanghay and Viengxay districts to plant agarwood trees, so they took their advice.

Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Forestry Department, Mr Thongphat Vongmany, responded to the villagers' enquiries, saying that finding markets is a big problem in Laos as many people set up a business in hopes of making a profit without first considering whether it is v iable.

Agarwood became a popular crop about 10 years ago with the trend then shifting to teak and rubber without growers thinking of the potential costs or actual market demand.

Because the villagers pinned their hopes on agarwood, they neglected to grow other crops which would have earned them an income and enabled th em to better their circumstances.

“This should be a good lesson for us so that we don't repeat the same errors. The most important thing is that people produce something based on market need,” Mr Thongphat said.

Almost 10,000 hectares of agarwood have been planted in Laos but villagers have now lost interest in the crop.

http://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeConte...rmers%20ask.htm