http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2009/03/17/61451.html
Bangladesh to export bamboo-shoot soon
Bangladesh will become a bamboo- shoot exporting country soon as Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) has taken initiatives to promote bamboo cultivation in the country through introducing scientific methods and motivating farmers, reports BSS from Chittagong Monday.
Officials of the BFRI, country’s lone research organisation in forest sector told the news agency that the country could fetch huge foreign exchange by exporting bamboo-shoots and other products made of bamboos as there was huge demand for the products in international market.
After necessary processing, various types of tasty foods can be prepared from bamboo-shoot, a soft upper part of mature bamboo saplings and the foods have a good demand internationally, including in USA, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and some European countries.
“At present we need to motivate farmers and private entrepreneurs to cultivate bamboo and to make them acquaint with modern technologies for the farming” Md. Jashim Uddin, Director of a BFRI project for the bamboo cultivation promotion said.
BFRI sources said around 200 acres have already been brought under bamboo cultivation in Chittagong and the three hill districts. The land areas with bamboo farming are likely to be doubled by the middle of next year.
Bangladesh received Tk 13.7 million from International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBER), a global body to promote and finance bamboo and cane production through China-based International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan (ICBR).
The INBER gave the fund to popularise bamboo and rattan cultivation and introduction of modern technologies in Bangladesh.
For proper utilisation of the fund, the BFRI has taken a project to promote bamboo cultivation through motivating farmers and private entrepreneurs as well as to provide them with technical support for processing various exportable products of agri-outputs.
Project Director Md Jashim Uddin said a treatment and scientific processing plant for bamboo-shoots will be set up in Fatikchhari Upazila by June next.
The machinery for the plant is expected to reach by April next.
An agreement was singed to this effect between the BFRI and the ICBR in September 2008.
Under the agreement ICBR would provide necessary technologies for bamboo-shoot processing and other marketing support from China free of cost.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the BFRI and the BRAC last year to promote bamboo cultivation and export.
