By Derrick Silimina
Bamboo, the giant grass, is a plant with the fastest growth, and due to its high productivity rate, is a valuable source for a large number of durable products and sustainable year-long income.
The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization, an intergovernmental organization registered with the United Nations that promotes the growing of bamboo, says the global bamboo economy is now valued at $60 billion, and is a potential income generator for rural communities.
But it was not until recently that widespread commercialization of bamboo began taking root in Uganda and the African continent as a whole, spurring hopes of generating income and creating jobs for the rural poor.
When Uganda’s then Minister of Water and Environment Flavia Munaaba Nabugere visited China to attend a ministerial seminar on bamboo in 2011, she was inspired by China’s ingenious bamboo innovation. The event served as an eye-opener to the abundant potential of the plant.
“It got me interested and as minister then, I was able to nominate people from the government and from the community to attend training seminars on bamboo in China. I started mobilizing people countrywide to plant bamboo while demonstrating products that are made out of bamboo,” Nabugere told ChinAfrica.
To tap into this lucrative green resource, Nabugere, against all odds, made a bold decision to enter into the forestry business through bamboo nursery production in a bid to add value to the plants.
Nabugere noted that since 2016 when her ministerial term of office came to an end, Chinese experts on bamboo production have conducted training on construction, furniture-making and wetland management.
“I value the knowledge transfer from China as crucial to stimulate the interest in bamboo as it gives the chance to promote a green economy. I do seedling generation and supply seedlings to farmers. I also plant bamboo and encourage people to plant and join the Uganda Bamboo Association,” she said.
Green economy
Some farmers have since begun to commercialize bamboo because the profit potential has become even greater as bamboo plays an important role in climate change mitigation, and bamboo growing offers the possibility of increased income through carbon credits.
The Uganda Bamboo Association has 400 enterprises engaged in different facets of the bamboo economy. The former minister revealed that she has up to 6 hectares of mature bamboo and engages her members to do restoration planting on 500 hectares of degraded forest.
Nabugere, who is also the secretary general of the association, incubates bamboo enterprises through training in value addition and by supplying bamboo raw materials including bamboo poles, bamboo seedlings and shoots.
“Bamboo looks simple, but it is complicated to grow it. With time, I have learned through training and day-to-day experience which seedlings survive, how to manage bamboo and which bamboo is mature for use,” she said.
According to the Uganda National Bamboo Strategy and Action Plan (2019-29), the government aims to use bamboo in rehabilitating 375,000 hectares of degraded land by 2029 at a cost of about $45.8 million to protect the environment and provide income to rural communities.
Vital source of income
The bamboo strategy is designed to improve the livelihoods of Ugandans, especially those living in rural areas, through raising the incomes of the poor people, increasing the number of jobs and enhancing the contribution of bamboo forests to Uganda’s economic development. It is aimed at propelling the green economy development, and achieving the domestic and international development targets and commitments of the Government of Uganda.
As the world bamboo market grows, led by China and an increasing demand for sustainable products in Europe and the U.S., bamboo enterprises in Uganda have over the years introduced various products for the local market, including toothpicks, chairs, tables, ornaments, mortars and pestles, among others.
“Apart from growing bamboo plants, our members make and sell bamboo products and crafts like furniture, jewelry, desk organizers, wine holders, saving boxes, sugar bowls, tins, and toys,” Uganda Bamboo Association Administrator Precious Kavubu said.
Edwin Mwesigwa, one of the exhibitors at the just-concluded Harvest Money Expo 2022, Uganda’s largest agricultural exhibition held in Kampala, said many visitors passing through his exhibition stall were awed by the products made out of bamboo.
“I like being creative, and out of the bamboo poles I purchase from local farmers, I can make various products for sale and this is what sustains my family. In future, I will consider planting bamboo,” Mwesigwa said.
Ruth Biyinzika, one of the visitors, shared her excitement after she bought a souvenir made out of bamboo.
“It’s interesting to see the by-products from bamboo that are made by our local producers here in Uganda. I thought products like toothpicks, ornaments and others I have known all my life can only be made in China; but it’s amazing to see them being produced here,” Biyinzika stated.
Asked how the Chinese training in the bamboo value chain is contributing to growth of the association’s members, Nabugere said that her association’s experience has been both exciting and challenging.
“First, we realized that with simple tools, we are able to make products out of bamboo, and saw the potential for youth employment. Now, the challenge is to obtain technology to make products such as charcoal, timber, and timber boards for export, as we are still doing manual value addition with simple tools,” she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment