Several Chinese farms in different provinces of Laos have been forced to suspend all operations after hazardous chemicals were found on them that could have a harmful effects on human health after tests done by state and international agencies.
The Prime Minister’s Office ordered farms preparing to cultivate banana trees to halt production, while thousands of hectares of banana plantations that have already planted the trees will not be allowed to plant any more.
“We will halt the banana plantations but at the same time we don’t want to lose these Chinese investors from the country; in Oudomxay we will plant other clean crops instead,” Onkeo Ounralom, director of the Oudomxay provincial Planting and Investment Department said.
Onkeo also stated his regret that the reports did not mention the specific provinces which used the chemicals, only stating that banana plantations in the north of the country were to blame.
