Lao company eyes more beef export to China

VIENTIANE, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- A private company in Laos is setting up a large-scale cattle farm in northern Laos' Bokeo province, aiming to supply beef to domestic and foreign markets, especially China.

According to a Socio-Economic News report on Friday, the Duang Chalern Development Construction Company Group has been awarded concessions by the state on five plots of land covering a total area of 3,687 hectares in two districts of Bokeo province, some 340 km northwest of Lao capital Vientiane, to grow grass and raise cattle.

The company's chairman and director Khamphaiy Silaxa said the project started in 2021 and has experimented with four breeds of cattle.

So far, the company has exported more than 1,000 cattle, mainly to China, and also to Thailand and Vietnam.

Khamphaiy said the project has created more than 300 jobs for local people and has contributed to the socio-economic development in Bokeo province.

Laos earned more than 1.4 billion U.S. dollars from agricultural exports in 2023, exceeding the target for the year by 20.18 percent.

The main farm products exported were bananas, rubber, cassava, sugarcane, cattle and buffaloes, with China being the largest purchaser.

The Lao government is encouraging farmers and producers to increase exports to bring in much-needed foreign currency and help reduce high foreign exchange rates.