The Lao Agricultural and Domestic Products Fair took place last weekend in the Lao-ITECC parking lot. The fair was organised by the Vientiane Administration and Ad Hoc Committee on Promoting Production and Consumption of Domestic Products and Consumer Goods Import Management. The opening ceremony took place on Saturday morning and was attended by officials, entrepreneurs, local farmers and other groups.
“The fair aims to encourage local people to use and consume local products. It also aims to expand markets for local producers and farmers,” a Vientiane official said. “The event also allows local entrepreneurs and buyers to discuss their ideas and their needs. Producers and farmers can benefit by exhibiting their goods to buyers at the same time,” he added. “Many locally produced goods are of good quality but buyers don’t know that, so this is a chance for producers to promote their goods to the public, which could ultimately help to reduce the amount of imported goods,” he said.
Over 300 local business exhibited their goods at the fair, comprising agricultural products such as organically farmed vegetables, ODOP products, processed products, and items produced by model families in Vientiane. “As our committee was only established this year, this is the first fair for us. We plan to arrange the fair as a weekend market for every district in Vientiane in the future and we hope it will support local farmers and producers,” said a representative of the Ad Hoc Committee on Promoting Production and Consumption of Domestic Products and Consumer Goods Import Management, Mr Tung A Synuanchanh. “At present, we only plan to do this in Vientiane but of course we hope to stage fairs like this in the provinces in the future,” he added.
Information source: Vientiane Times.
