Why farmers in Laos are shifting from cabbage to cassava production

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit globally, farmers in Laos are among the most affected. Many farmers could not sell their cabbages due to lack of buyers. The prices for cabbages also dropped, thus, some farmers in the country decided to shift to cassava growing.

The advantages of growing cassava include:

The price for cassava is stable, despite being lower compared to the market price for cabbage
Cabbages are prone to rotting if not harvested at the right time. Meanwhile, cassava harvesting can be delayed and it will not incur problems.
Cabbages can be easily damaged when being transported. This is not the same as cassava since it is not soft.
There are limited numbers of buyers of cabbage at the farm gate. There are more buyers for cassava in the nearby areas.