By Clifford Akumu
Although a relatively new industry in the country, bamboo farmers will soon have a reason to smile with the introduction of a factory to process raw bamboo into various products.
A billion KSH bamboo factory is expected to serve over 250 bamboo investors and a significant number of individual farmers when it is up and running this year.
Bamboo products are gaining ground in Kenya and farmers across the counties too, are now focusing on forming part of that wave. The new partnership with bamboo farmers is aimed at boosting economic livelihoods and fostering ‘green development’.
“We have done the research and are aware of what products of bamboo we want to produce. What now remains is to hit the road and start full production .” said Frankie Gichuru of Green Pot Enterprises, a fully integrated agroforestry outfit that is helping to build the new industry.
Through its innovative principal development of ‘gated community of forests’- which consolidate farmers to an area-bamboo farmers will get a chance to reap the benefits of the highly versatile giant grass that has always been left in the cold.
“In this model of investment, the investor buys a number of acres to plant bamboo on lease at affordable price. During the fifth year, when the plant is ready for harvest-we are able to give the investor a return of their investment. And this process continues every time we harvest the plant for another 25 years .” explained Gichuru.
With over 2,000 hectares of land in the Mau Narok Complex under bamboo plantation, she is upbeat about the project’s commercial viability.
“Agronomically, bamboo does very well in this area and, the environmental usefulness is that- these plants are where they are mostly needed. We also wanted to put up the factory near the source of raw material.” explained Gichuru.
Compared to softwood trees that can take 30 years to reach maturity, she explains, bamboo is a fully mature resource after three years, making it commercially and environmentally sustainable.
Small-scale Kenyan bamboo farmers like Joyce Nekesa are enthusiastic to participate in the development of the bamboo sector, if investment in its expansion is inclusive of small farmers.
“If I had the opportunity, I would like to increase my production for skilled production and a better financial return,”Nekesa said.
Green pot has quenched smallholders’ appetite to venture into the bamboo investment by using a ‘repayment mode’ where they offer seedlings to farmers at a percentage.
Smallholder bamboo farmers are also provided with bamboo seedlings at a cost of Sh200.And the company takes care of the labour, provide extension services until maturity.
“A farmer needs about 250 seedlings per acre. We supply them with the seedlings worth an acre but they only pay a small percentage of the fee. Once the company starts to buy the bamboo from the farmers we then deduct and get our money back.” said Gichuru.
The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) estimates that the global market for bamboo is worth $60 billion and rising, a lucrative prospect for East African businesses, and potentially a major boost for the wider economy.
Consequently, Sub-Saharan Africa has three million hectares of bamboo forest; around four percent of the continent’s total forest cover a fete that the company is out to change.
“When we harvest the first batch of bamboo and people see the products we will be manufacturing, I can assure you there will be an upsurge for the growth of bamboo in the country” noted Gichuru.
Although there are over one thousand bamboo species, Green pot only grows three species based on the end products the plant will be manufacturing.
The company has selected three main varieties of bamboo—moso, giant bamboo and Dendrocalamus membranaceus because they are highly suitable for the chosen areas and have more economic viability than other varieties.
“After extensive research in East Africa supported by our consultant in China and United States we have settled on these three species since they will deliver the end products of wood, energy and textile”
The choice of bamboo, she continues, also depend on the specific land restoration need of the soil. “There are specific bamboo species used to restore depleted lands that need restoring like in the highlands, lowlands and salty areas”
Even so, investing in bamboo farming not only contribute to the economic viability of the bamboo industry, but also environmental stewardship of the forestland.
“And the most important part is that we will be reafforesting a huge and important part of our water table.”
Equipping farmers with bamboo planting and maintenance skills, teaming up with the private sector for processing and value addition are major challenges facing the adoption and eventual growth of bamboo sector.
And this is what Green pot is changing through its training centres that are spread across the bamboo growing areas in the country.
“A part from training farmer groups in these regions. We also have a stand at Wambugu Training Farm in Nyeri where people with interest in bamboo farming are directed for consultation”
“We also conduct open barazas in collaboration with the county government where we sit with farmers and teach them how to grow bamboo and their benefits.We get to assist the farmers with seedlings at these fora”
Despite promising market potential in Africa bamboo still suffers a great deal of image problem.
“Smallholder farmers don’t believe that they can actually accrue numerous benefits from bamboo farming.”
Kenya’s government commitment to increase forest cover from 6.9 to 10% means they have to plant about 2.5million hectares of forest, an important part played by the woody plant.
Already, the steering committee to help in the uptake of bamboo farming is gaining ground in the counties.
Certainly, the government through its forest bodies has done a lot research on bamboo farming.
“Without these wealth of research by government bodies like Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Forest Research Institute we would not have gone that quickly and reach where we are today in this sector. Bamboo is going to be a critical plant if we are going to realize our environmental objective” noted Gichuru
When planting bamboo, she notes, and care must be taken while handling the delicate roots and ensure no air pockets are left around them.
“Dig a hole of 4m apart and 2ft by 2ft deep. Mix the compost manure with a bit of some soil and then fill the hole until halfway; about 1ft of the mixture and then plant the seedlings” advised Gichuru.
The factory, says Gichuru will economically transform the rural livelihood around Narok and its environs.
“Most farmers around these communities will be able to bring their homegrown bamboo to our factory and pocket about 50,000 every month once the bamboo is mature. We also have a good number of ladies who tend to our nurseries and earn a living.”
Bamboo value addition needs to be more innovative in Kenya, if farmers like Nekesa are to enjoy the industry boom.
“Bamboo fascinates a lot, because the same you use to make a thousand storey building can be used to make a fine fabric” concluded Gichuru.
Lots of farmers will be disappointed by this statement – “bamboo is a fully mature resource after three years” this is completely incorrect and anyone who has tried to farm bamboo should know better. Please see this article: https://www.ecoplanetbambooplantations.com/single-post/bamboo-farms-time-to-maturity which is a good introduction to bamboo farming.
Otherwise bamboo is a much needed resource for Kenya if it can be grown correctly. Hopefully they can do so!
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