Laos hopes to be a member of World Coffee Association

(KPL)The Lao Coffee Association is hoping that it will become a member of the World Coffee Association before the end of 2008 and it is trying to get the member countries to support its application.
Lao coffee farmers in the southern provinces of Laos have been growing coffee for more than 100 years and to them it is a livelihood. But, in spite of their long history of coffee growing, Lao coffee is not well known in the world’s coffee markets.
Referring to this issue, Mr Sinouk Sisombat, President of Lao Coffee Association said that the Lao coffee farmers in the Paksong district of Champassack province have been growing coffee since 1975 and they are happy with this occupation.
However, he stressed the need for coffee growers to become a member of the World Coffee Association so that they would be able to enjoy trade leverage at the international level.
Membership would enable Lao coffee to be sold in the markets of the world and that the World Coffee Association could help Laos to so, said Mr Sinouk. However, the farmers would have to make efforts to make improvements to the quality of their coffee so that it is competitive in the international markets, said the President of the Lao Coffee Association.
Currently, Laos exported coffee products to China, Japan, European Union, USA, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. They are raw, semi-finished and finished coffee and in 2007 the export generated US$ 30 million.
A coffee farmer, Mrs Somleth, told KPL that there is a demand for organic coffee products from Japan, USA and European Union.

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