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VO Lao farm products are set to enjoy greater access to the Chinese market INTRO: Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce, Khemmani Pholsena said recently that, Lao farm products are set to enjoy greater access to the Chinese market after the Chinese authorities have granted recognition of the quality to four kinds of Lao farm products. STORY: Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce, Khemmani Pholsena was speaking to local media during her attendance at the three-day meeting between the government cabinet, Vientiane Mayor and provincial governors last week in Vientiane. She said, The Chinese authorities have granted SPS certification (Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, known as an SPS Agreement) to four-listed Lao products – banana, cassava, sweet corn and watermelon. According to her, Being granted the SPS certification, which sets constraints on policies relating to food safety, means the four farm products are recognised by Chinese importers. Previously, Lao exporters have complained about the difficulties they were facing in exporting Lao farm products into the Chinese market as the Chinese authorities did not officially recognise the quality of Lao farm products. Amid such difficulties, Lao farm products were sold to Chinese investors who are operating agricultural businesses in Laos as well as Chinese traders who came to Laos to buy the products as they can easily export the products back into China. In this regard, complaints emerged that Lao farmers were offered unreasonably low prices for their products by the Chinese traders. The Minister also explained that the difficulty the Lao exporters face in exporting Lao farm products to China stemmed from the fact that the SPS was not granted at that time. She said the SPS granted to the four products will enable Lao farm products to enjoy greater access to the Chinese market, given that the Chinese authorities now officially recognise the products. The minister added that Lao rice is also expected to be granted with SPS by the Chinese authorities in the near future, citing a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. She stated that there was a big market trend for Lao corn, noting that some Chinese businesses have expressed their interest in purchasing as much as 200,000 tonnes of Lao corn . In addition to Chinese market access, Lao authorities are pushing an attempt to enable Lao sweet corn to access the Thai market as Thailand is imposing a ban on the import of Lao corn into the kingdom over the period from January to March, which is the harvesting season. The minister said Lao authorities have raised the issue for discussion on the Asean agenda, as both Laos and Thailand are members of the 10-member regional bloc.