SA’s underdeveloped Eastern Cape province is hoping to add bamboo to its agricultural mix, allowing it to tap into a US$7bn international bamboo industry.
The Eastern Cape Development Corp (ECDC) and the Industrial Development Corp (IDC) have been exploring opportunities in the industry — which has been introduced successfully in a number of developing countries — and last week held a two-day symposium and exhibition in East London.
Each of the development agencies has invested about R1m in exploratory work and the IDC will soon finalise a study to identify opportunities for the role of bamboo in rural economic development , says senior project manager Bertie Strydom.
ECDC regional head Ken Bern says the bamboo project is one step in a bid to grow a number of diverse industries in the countryside with the aim of securing the participation of rural communities and bringing them, through these products, into the mainstream economy.
In the Eastern Cape, bamboo may be grown together with crops such as pineapples, hemp or flax — crops which are being promoted in an attempt to rebuild the province’s agriculture sector.
“Bamboo as an emerging crop in Africa is already turning fortunes around in countries such as Ethiopia, where leather and sugar are also contributing to rising wealth,” says Bern.
Louis de Lange, a founder of Gaia Carbon Sciences, says bamboo is a versatile non invasive crop that can help develop the agricultural sector without threatening the environment.
“It can be used in a number of applications, including renewable energy. It is fast-growing and can build large biomass stock.”
Bhargavi Motukuri, from India, introduced the symposium to the work of the International Network for Bamboo & Rattan. Established by a UN treaty, this 37-member intergovernmental body promotes global trade in the crop with the aim of helping the poor communities which grow it.
“Unlike trees, where planting to harvest takes years or even decades, bamboo provides steady income for farmers on a monthly or even weekly basis.
“It can be cut and transported by a single person, splits linearly and can be processed by hand with a knife. ”
The crop has a wide variety of uses, including construction, making all types of furniture, fittings such as window blinds, fencing, flooring, arts and crafts and charcoal production.
It is a viable alternative for all types of housing, with the costs of bamboo dwellings comparing very favourably to conventional construction.
A notable advantage of bamboo is that it can replace the use of trees as a source of wood, with environmental benefits.
In addition, it can be grown in marginal soils, uses groundwater efficiently and thrives even in drought conditions. It is a multibillion-dollar industry in China, India and Brazil.
China leads world exports with 46% of the total, followed by Indonesia with 16%.
And though studies have been carried out primarily with the Eastern Cape in mind, they have revealed that two other provinces might have even greater potential for bamboo cultivation.
Hamman Oosthuizen of Optimal Agriculture Business Systems, the lead consultants in the project, says only about 10% of SA land is suitable for rain-fed bamboo cultivation. About half of this has “marginal potential” and only 0,5% of SA land is “high potential”.
Of this high-potential land, about 80% is in KwaZulu Natal (45% or 188000ha) and Mpumalanga (35% or 148000ha). Just 10% of SA land, or less than 43000ha, is seen as having high potential for the cultivation of bamboo in the Eastern Cape, with a slightly smaller area also suitable in Limpopo.
As it stands, the cultivation of bamboo is limited in SA. Three pilot projects near Port Elizabeth, Stutterheim and Centane will be extended when the project is expanded in three or four years.
Pelo Gabaraane, director of SA Bamboo, which has been commissioned by the ECDC to manage the pilots, says 12 people have already been employed.
“We look forward to more of the local people gaining employment and skills when the project goes full scale.”
- Financial Mail
The Eastern Cape Development Corp (ECDC) and the Industrial Development Corp (IDC) have been exploring opportunities in the industry — which has been introduced successfully in a number of developing countries — and last week held a two-day symposium and exhibition in East London.
Each of the development agencies has invested about R1m in exploratory work and the IDC will soon finalise a study to identify opportunities for the role of bamboo in rural economic development , says senior project manager Bertie Strydom.
ECDC regional head Ken Bern says the bamboo project is one step in a bid to grow a number of diverse industries in the countryside with the aim of securing the participation of rural communities and bringing them, through these products, into the mainstream economy.
In the Eastern Cape, bamboo may be grown together with crops such as pineapples, hemp or flax — crops which are being promoted in an attempt to rebuild the province’s agriculture sector.
“Bamboo as an emerging crop in Africa is already turning fortunes around in countries such as Ethiopia, where leather and sugar are also contributing to rising wealth,” says Bern.
Louis de Lange, a founder of Gaia Carbon Sciences, says bamboo is a versatile non invasive crop that can help develop the agricultural sector without threatening the environment.
“It can be used in a number of applications, including renewable energy. It is fast-growing and can build large biomass stock.”
Bhargavi Motukuri, from India, introduced the symposium to the work of the International Network for Bamboo & Rattan. Established by a UN treaty, this 37-member intergovernmental body promotes global trade in the crop with the aim of helping the poor communities which grow it.
“Unlike trees, where planting to harvest takes years or even decades, bamboo provides steady income for farmers on a monthly or even weekly basis.
“It can be cut and transported by a single person, splits linearly and can be processed by hand with a knife. ”
The crop has a wide variety of uses, including construction, making all types of furniture, fittings such as window blinds, fencing, flooring, arts and crafts and charcoal production.
It is a viable alternative for all types of housing, with the costs of bamboo dwellings comparing very favourably to conventional construction.
A notable advantage of bamboo is that it can replace the use of trees as a source of wood, with environmental benefits.
In addition, it can be grown in marginal soils, uses groundwater efficiently and thrives even in drought conditions. It is a multibillion-dollar industry in China, India and Brazil.
China leads world exports with 46% of the total, followed by Indonesia with 16%.
And though studies have been carried out primarily with the Eastern Cape in mind, they have revealed that two other provinces might have even greater potential for bamboo cultivation.
Hamman Oosthuizen of Optimal Agriculture Business Systems, the lead consultants in the project, says only about 10% of SA land is suitable for rain-fed bamboo cultivation. About half of this has “marginal potential” and only 0,5% of SA land is “high potential”.
Of this high-potential land, about 80% is in KwaZulu Natal (45% or 188000ha) and Mpumalanga (35% or 148000ha). Just 10% of SA land, or less than 43000ha, is seen as having high potential for the cultivation of bamboo in the Eastern Cape, with a slightly smaller area also suitable in Limpopo.
As it stands, the cultivation of bamboo is limited in SA. Three pilot projects near Port Elizabeth, Stutterheim and Centane will be extended when the project is expanded in three or four years.
Pelo Gabaraane, director of SA Bamboo, which has been commissioned by the ECDC to manage the pilots, says 12 people have already been employed.
“We look forward to more of the local people gaining employment and skills when the project goes full scale.”
- Financial Mail
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