China to buy 20,000 tonnes of organic rice from Laos
China has approved the purchase of 20,000 tonnes of organic rice a year from Laos, according to Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith. Mr Thongloun said in talks with Khong district authorities in Champassak province last week that Chinese premier Li Keqiang had agreed to the deal. The Chinese prime minister told Mr Thongloun that 20,000 tonnes of rice was quite a small quantity for China. But Lao officials and farmers will have to work hard to produce this amount of organic rice for shipment. Laos will need to deliver 20,000 tonnes of genuine organic rice to China. The shipment must not contain nonorganic rice, Mr Thongloun said. About 4,000 tonnes of sticky rice and nonglutinous rice has already been delivered to China, and this year the shipment was to be 8,000 tonnes. Now China has approved an increase from 8,000 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes. The rice is being grown in Savannakhet province and Khong district, Champassak province.
