Lao-Thai trade reopen the maize market

Lao-Thai trade reopen the maize market

(KPL) Thailand reopened new purchase on maize product with the maize farmers in Xayaboury province of Laos, since 2008 having been banned, said local officials.
Local authority reported yesterday that Thailand just reopened its market on February 2009 to welcome the Lao farmer’s maize product in Xayaboury province under reasonable purchasing price. Before November 2008, Thai government banned the import of Lao maize product due to its local maize producers against the government’s policy that had allowed middlemen imported the maize product from Laos.
At that time, hundreds of Lao maize farmers in Xayaboury province were affected directly from closing the Thai market.
Mr Somdy, Head of Industry and Commerce Office of Xayaboury province disclosed yesterday that now the maize producers in Xayaboury province has been able to export more than 165,000 tons of the maize product to Thai, Vietnam and China after their maize product has been kept since November 2008.
“Thai middlemen will welcome to buy at 1,200 kip a kilogram this price is seen that it is still lower than last year-price, but we have to accept this situation because we do not have many alternatives”, he said.
Since the world financial crisis and banned import issues, more than 200,000 tons of the maize products in Xayaboury province has yet been kept and some of them was mouldering.
He said that in 2008 Xayaboury maize producers could grow 60,500 hectares and harvest more than 400,000 tons.