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Bangladesh to export bamboo soon

BSS, Chittagong
Bangladesh will become a bambooshoot exporting country soon as the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) has taken initiatives to promote its cultivation through introducing scientific methods and motivating farmers.
BFRI officials told the news agency that the country could fetch huge foreign exchange by exporting bamboo-shoots and other products made of bamboos as these have a huge demand in the 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," said Md Jashim Uddin, director of a BFRI project for the bamboo cultivation promotion.
BFRI sources said around 200 acres of land have already been brought under bamboo cultivation in Chittagong and three CHT districts. The land areas with bamboo farming are likely to be doubled by the middle of next year.
Bangladesh received Taka 1.37
crore from International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBER), a global body to promote and finance bamboo and cane production through China-based International Center 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 ofagri-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 next month.
An agreement was signed 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 Brae last year to promote bamboo cultivation and export.
According to the agreement, the BFRI will provide technical support
to the Brae for cultivating bamboo at four Brac-owned tea estates and the Brae authorities will procure domestic exportable bamboo and bamboo-shoots from local cultivators and would give necessary marketing support for their export.
Jashim Uddin said China is currently producing 2,500 items from bamboo and rattans, including food, medicine and cosmetic, and exporting those to different countries, including Japan and the United States. Bangladesh will also import high quality bamboo saplings from China for boosting local production.
The export growth rate has been increased by 20 percent every year, he added.
Bangladesh has a huge prospect to earn huge foreign currencies by utilising properly the Chinese technology in this sector.
The main objective of the project is to motivate the farmers about commercial cultivation of bamboo.
Apart from fetching foreign currency by exporting bamboo-shoots, expansion of commercial bamboo production would also contribute in creating employment and reducing poverty, Jashim Uddin added.
The BFRI authorities organised a training programme for its officials and prospective entrepreneurs last month. Three motivational programme were also held for the farmers and entrepreneurs in three hill districts during the last six months.