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demand for bamboo is fast growing with its multiple uses ranging
from subsistence to commercial food, to buildings, furniture
and handicrafts.
Resilient
as it is, this perennial non-wood forest plant can thrive
in almost every region in the country. Bamboos grow abundantly
along rivers, gullies, farmlands, backyards and even in city
parks. They can also be grown or harvested in forest margins
or in community-based forest management (CBFM) areas requiring
modest capital investments to generate steady off-farm income.
More and
more communities venture in bamboo farming as its importance
as a source of livelihood has become more recognized. This
is especially true for the town of Maasin where its people’s
attachment to the bamboo industry has made it the bamboo capital
of the Iloilo province.
Bamboo
is now considered an ideal substitute for wood; hence new
products are being developed from it. The town of Maasin,
for example produces and concentrates on decorative woven
bamboo products.
However,
the commercial woven bamboo products of Maasin farmers still
need refinements to be of premium quality. Hence, S&T
interventions on the production of quality bamboo poles and
on the processing of decorative woven products need to be
introduced.
Through
the collaboration of PCARRD, the Western Visayas Agriculture
and Resources R&D Consortium (WESVARRDEC), and the local
government of Maasin, an S&T-based farm for bamboo in
the town will be established.
Specifically,
the farm of PCARRD’s Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) or farmer
scientist, Mr. Norberto Ceballo in Maasin will be developed
to showcase the effectiveness of S&T in improving and
maintaining the quality and productivity of bamboo.
The S&T
model farm will run for two years and will showcase appropriate
silvicultural management practices and bamboo weaving technologies.
The farm will cater to farmers, entrepreneurs and other interested
clients.
Among
the expected outputs of the intervention are: (1) mature and
strong bamboo poles; (2) improved productivity of existing
bamboo clumps; (3) a modest bamboo weaving processing area;
and (4) high quality “bukbok” or free woven bamboo
products.
An
inception meeting among the project stakeholders was held
last January 23 to firm up the plans and activities of the
project. (Ma. Rowena M. Baltazar, S&T Media Service).
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