VIENTIANE, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Lao government has prohibited the establishment of more large scale banana plantations in a move to address environmental impacts, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told the National Assembly (NA) meeting on Friday.
The government has issued an order that imposed the ban after learning of severe environmental impacts caused by the use of hazardous chemicals on some farms, which is causing suffering among communities in the northern provinces.
Thongloun called for NA members to keep a close eye on the matter and discuss with provincial governors if they see further plantations being established despite the ban.
The PM acknowledged that in places where chemicals have been used on bananas, the soil has become compacted and infertile. Additionally, chemical leaks into nearby rivers have killed livestock and made villagers scared to bathe or take water from rivers and streams, reported local Vientiane Times.
The PM informed parliament that the government is also taking tougher actions to regulate manufacturing plants and those responsible for high levels of pollution had been ordered to shut down.
The swift expansion of commercial plantations and livestock production has contributed to economic expansion in rural regions of Laos in recent years but caused concerns over environment pollution. Banana production in Laos has largely focused in the nation's mountainous north.
