Laos exported the first large quantity of sticky rice to China from the Southern Vientiane Railway Station.
Vientiane Times reports that Indochina Development Partners Lao (IDP) shipped 100 tons of sticky rice to China via the Laos-China railway system at the Southern Vientiane Railway Station.
Since 2005, IDP has been investing in rice planting and operating four major rice mills in Savannakhet and Champasak provinces.
IDP purchases 60,000 tonnes of rice from farmers each year and contributes approximately USD 20 million in procurement. Each year, 30,000 tonnes are exported to Europe, China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In the past, the company exported rice to Thai and Vietnamese ports for shipment to China.
In 2017, the company exported 45,000 tonnes to China, with the expectation that China will purchase 25,000 tonnes per year for the next three years, becoming Lao PDR’s largest rice export market.
The company is also promoting organic rice cultivation to 1,500 Laotian families across 5,000 hectares.
In May authorities began preparations to link the Laos-China Railway to the Thanaleng Dry Port to better facilitate freight transportation.
While goods are transported by truck to and from Vientiane Southern Station and the Thanaleng Dry Port, an investment in new rail track will allow freight to move seamlessly in the future.
