Gitte (project leader for HPP Laos) introduced us to Svend Pedersen
(Agricultural Specialist in Lao Banana Company). The day started at the HPP
office where we found out when the banana farm was founded, wages for the
employees, Lao government regarding the foreign investors, difficulties with
local people, etc.
It was interesting to realize that
we take over some words that we hear without thinking if they are correct or
not, for instance, I was all the time saying banana tree but actually banana is
not a tree, even sometimes can reach 8 m height, it’s just a plant. Svend
explained us that it’s like the grass, that’s why is taking less than 1 year to
grow and produce fruits.
Lao Banana Company was founded in 2008, is not connected with Humana
People to People projects, it is some of Teacher’s Group business. In Laos, the
company rented or bought 200 ha but only a part of them are cultivated. The
company is an association between Dole (the largest exporter of bananas in the
world) and some of the TGs. In the first years Lao Banana Company was selling
banana to Dole for export but because of the weather conditions in the cold
season and the high standards set by Dole the contract have been discontinued
for 6 months.
Now, Lao Banana Company sells bananas only on local market with 0,25
USD/kg. Because there is not the high harvesting season, the plantation can
produce and sell around 15 t/week but in the high season around 40 t/week.
In a banana hectare are 2000 plants and 1 hectare can give 60.000 kg of
banana/year.
Svend explained us about the main banana leaf diseases – sigatoka- how to
identify it and how to prevent it and the insects that might damage the banana
fruits. If for the leaf diseases there is a cure: pesticide, for the insects
there is no cure, just the hope that they will be fed up and that they will
leave the plantation.
In the dry season there is no food for local people’s animals and that’s
why the banana plantation was invaded by the village buffalos. Svend told us,
with a smile in the corner of his lips, that he tried everything possible to
explain to local people that the plantation is private and that the animals
that are going to eat the banana leaves are destroying the crop. He spoke to
the owners of the buffalos, to the village chief, even he retained for few days
the buffalos but with no any positive result.
Even though the plantation covers many km they had to build a fence to
protect it by the invaders.
We spoke with the local people that are working on the plantation and we
asked them if there is a hard work. Most of them smiling replied that is not,
only sometimes when they had to load the bananas in the trucks. They are very
used being in the sun and this is no any inconvenience for them. At 12 o’clock
they have the lunch break for one hour, and because the company hired someone
to cook for the employees they have one meal at the plantation.
The employees start to work at 7 o’clock in the morning till 5 pm. We
asked Svend if he has problems with the employees to come in time at work,
there is not such a problem- usually the employees are coming even earlier at
the work, around 6.30 pm. As we spoke with Svend, Ole and Gitte we understood
that at the beginning they had problems with the locals regarding the schedule
– the locals couldn’t understand what means working hours, the schedule that
they have to respect, the fact that they can take breaks only in the time
allowed for this, that they can’t leave the work when they want, etc.
The employees are working 45 hours/week, usually Sundays are days off.
The wages are paid weakly, varies between 42 USD/ week and 62 USD/ week,
depending on the experience and when they started to work for the company. Svend is very proud and happy that he has a reliable
man on the plantation- a man that lived in America and came back in Laos many
years ago. He is the one that usually translate to locals what they have to do
and what is the work plan.
Svend can speak a bit of Lao but, as he told us, to learn to speak Lao is
not an easy work, especially because there are many sounds pronounced different
and if you mistake a sound that word has totally new meaning.
Well, we were curious why TG’s chose to found the banana plantation in
Laos and Svind explain us that Lao government was the most welcoming one, the
laws are not so taught for foreign investors and that the land is very cheap.
Before coming to start the plantation there were almost two years of research,
investigations in which part of the country is better and less dangerous. Why
dangerous? Because of the bombs dropped by Americans in Secret War and that
most of them are buried in the grown, being all the time a risk to explode. In
Lao territory there are more than two millions tones of mines that are not
exploded. Every year are dying between 100-120 Lao people when they are going
to work their land and the bombs are detonating incidentally.
The Lao government has some programs to clear the bombs but it’s a very
expensive action and they can’t afford to invest more. There is some
international intervention as well but still not enough land is cleared by
bombs - UXO (unexploded ordnance).
Svend and Gitte told us that the plantation is considerate by the
government as industry- is not production only for subsistence, the company is
exporting as well- that’s why the annual
taxes are higher.
Lao Banana Company will extend with growing goats. For the moment at the
plantation are raised around 40 pigs, in this way the waste bananas are used as
Svend told us. The pigs are bought when they are very small, raised and then
sold.
We are looking forward to see the second banana plantation and be part of
the production activities. Anyway, Svend was one of the most funny persons that
we met in Lao and all the day we spent it laughing and hearing stories about
his travels through the world. Thank you, Svend for the tips for India!
Workers preparing for the lunch
Svend explaining us about sigatoka – banana leaves disease 
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