Organic farmer in Laos finds a fresh use for her produce
KHANTHALY Sengsoulideth, an experienced grower of organic vegetables and trader, has become creative in getting more value out of vegetables by encouraging people to use them as a form of decoration.
Khanthaly was a former government employee who retired to set up her own business in Champassak province in 2002.
She started off with an organic farming export business with her family in Pakxong district and expanded into Vientiane years later when she set up the Keothavykhoun Purmphounsub Export and Import Co Ltd.
Khanthaly is now the company’s marketing manager.
The company grows organic vegetables at the Nonwai agriculture centre and some organic fruit in Saendin village, Naxaithong district.
It also plays a key role in helping to promote the organic farmers’ group in Thaxang village, Pakngum district, by purchasing organic products from groups across Vientiane.
After running her organic farming business for many years, Khanthaly decided to try her hand at other businesses related to the sale of organic products.
She now takes organic vegetables from her farm and uses them for decoration instead of flowers at events such as wedding receptions.
Khanthaly tried out her new idea at her cousin’s wedding for the first time.
Since then, she has supplied vegetables to several wed- ding receptions and meetings and has received good feedback from her clients and their guests.
She explains that using vegetables as a form of decoration is rather like arranging flowers but is much cheaper.
The decorations range in price from 5 million to 10 million kip ($600-$1,200), while a vegetable gift basket sells for 300,000-500,000 kip depending on the type of vegetables included.
More importantly, guests can take them home after the event. The decorations and vegetable gifts are proving a popular novelty.
“We previously used vegetables only as decorations at receptions but now we can use them for other aspects of the whole event depending on customers’ needs,” said Khanthaly.
All of the vegetables come from the Nonwai agriculture centre and Saendin village as well as from the organic farmers’ group in Thaxang village, Pakngum district.
Customers don’t need to worry about a shortage of raw materials during the wedding season as the company has a wide selection of farmers’ groups they can choose from.
Demand for organic fruit and vegetables continues to increase year-on-year due as more people want more natural products.
This has resulted in an increase in the number of organic farmers’ groups and vegetable markets and shops in Vientiane.
Farmers have to rely on various sectors of government to help boost their production and marketing channels so they can meet demand, said Khanthaly.
According to the Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Department, there are 41 organic farmers’ groups in Vientiane, 10 of which are organic rice growing groups while 17 are organic vegetable growers’ groups in seven out of the capital’s nine districts.
Built-up Sisattanak and Chanthabouly are the only two districts that do not have any organic farmers’ groups.
Most of the produce grown by organic farmers’ groups goes to the major organic markets at Houayhong, Chao Fa Ngum and That Luang.
The department monitors and controls green agriculture production, ensures that Lao organic certified standards are upheld, and aims to expand the organic farming area to 30 percent of the total agriculture area in Vientiane by 2030.
As the popularity of organic vegetables grows, and they are incorporated into more ways of life, such as being used as decorations, it will encourage more people to eat them and demand will further increase.
The Keothavykhoun Purmphounsub Export and Import Co Ltd now plans to open a shop selling vegetable decorations if there is sufficient demand.