Work starts on first formal Bamboo processing industry

The United Nation’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, has initiated a new project to set up bamboo industries in Sri Lanka.

As part of this project, Indian experts will begin to share their expertise to start Sri Lanka’s bamboo processing industry. India reportedly has the second largest bamboo stocks in the world after China.  

With a total value of $ 15.9 million, the project aims at developing a bamboo supply chain and product industry in the country, according to Nawaz Rajabdeen, National Director, UNIDO-Sri Lanka.

“UNIDO envisages that its industry development thrust will occur on three fronts—engineered bamboo materials for structural applications such as roofing sheets and panelling, bamboo pellets for local energy use, and bamboo sprouts as food exports” Rajabdeen said yesterday. “UNIDO will also extend technical support and expertise to develop this industry towards SME levels” Rajabdeen added.

The Sri Lanka project vies to be the much needed first step to create a bamboo processing industry and supply chain mechanism in Sri Lanka. UNIDO supported similar projects in Vietnam, India and China. Sri Lanka’s project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

According to the Department of Forest Conservation sources there are no large scale bamboo plantations in Sri Lanka either by the public or private sectors and currently bamboo cultivation is done in the country by informal sectors in small scale, except the cultivations under the Riverine Bamboo Project of Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka, which plans to cultivate them in selected river bank areas of Mahaweli project lands. Micro scale harvesters earn between Rs. 250 to 300 per bamboo tree and from a grove of 50 trees, around 30 trees are harvested annually.

In this regard, UNIDO has organised a two day seminar titled “Bamboo Processing in  Sri Lanka” to be held on 5 – 6 September at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo as a pre-project preparation, with the participation of the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen as the Chief Guest. Relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and industries under it, Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Development, Environmental Ministry, bamboo cultivators, construction industry personnel etc. are expected to take part in this first ever seminar of this nature to be held in the country, according to Sarath Abeysundara, National Project Coordinator, UNIDO Sri Lanka. “The seminar will discuss a roadmap for bamboo development in Sri Lanka, market study of biomass in Sri Lanka, roles of various government departments on bamboo development, bamboo policy and regulatory gaps, financial risk management in bamboo industry, and manufacturing of bamboo flooring” Abeysundara said.

 “A well-developed bamboo industry will also help us overcome shortcomings in our wood industry and wood supplies” said Rajabdeen. “The bamboo industry focused cultivations in Sri Lanka will be restricted to degraded lands only” he revealed.

In early June 2011, UNIDO office in Sri Lanka sent a four member Public Private Partnership delegation led by Sarath Abeysundara, National Project Coordinator, UNIDO Sri Lanka to Assam, India to study various aspects of Assamese bamboo industry and concluded that there is great potential for bamboo processing industry in Sri Lanka.

Research on Sri Lanka bamboos has revealed that there could be 10 to 14 varieties of bamboo in the country and some of them are used for utility purposes and household needs. They grow across all climatic zones of Sri Lanka with Kalutara noted as the region with highest bamboo growth. The mostly used variety among the local bamboo species are “O stridula.” Most people who use bamboo as raw material use it to produce crafts. The Sri Lanka Forestry Master Plan of 1995 identified that protection of bamboos of the country ‘to be a priority.’