SPC organises bamboo propagation training

Monday, 3rd August 2009, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands- Creating awareness on the use of bamboo and exploring the range of species available to the Pacific will be the main focus of a bamboo propagation and utilisation training session organised by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s Land resource Division (LRD).

The training will be held at Colo-I-Suva Silviculture Research Station building and nursery on Tuesday 4 August from 9 am to 5 pm, with around 25 participants expected to attend.

Mr Durnford Dart, Chairman of Bamboo Pty Ltd of Queensland Australia will conduct the bamboo propagation training.

According to Mr. Dart, it is vital to identify the species of bamboo adapted to Pacific Island environment to get the optimum return from these useful plant species.

“Certain bamboo species grow very well in tropical climates like Fiji and other Pacific Islands hence creating awareness on its utilisation and training on its propagation is the way forward.”

“Through this training, we aim to educate the locals on the care and maintenance of bamboo so that they start to realise the substantial benefits from bamboo,” Mr Dart said.

Bamboos include the world’s largest grasses, growing up to 36 meters high with diameters that can exceed 30 cm. Bamboo plants produce an annual crop of new shoots that telescope into poles at up to a meter per day. Once established the clumps may be harvested annually over hundreds of years.

Mr Dart added that different bamboo species produce many products including two main crops: edible shoots and timber poles. Other uses include handicraft, paper and biofuel generation.

“With other woody trees, one has to plant them and often wait 15 years before harvesting, after which you have to replant and wait again for the same period. However with bamboo it takes about 4–5 years for plants to establish themselves and from then on it can be harvested annually for hundreds of years.”

He also added that for the Pacific Islands, the main focus is to identify and establish bamboo as a substitute timber material suitable for the production of bamboo flooring, plywood, charcoal and biofuel with export potential.
After visiting Fiji, Mr. Dart will continue on to Samoa to oversee an electrification project where bamboo is being combined with coconut husk and used as fuel wood to run a bio-diesel generator. It is an efficient replacement for fossil fuels in the Pacific, this generator providing electricity for 10 villages.

Mr Dart’s trip to Fiji and Samoa has been funded by the European Union-funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project and SPC’s Forest and Agriculture Diversification project.

FACT complements efforts aimed at enhancing regional cooperation and integration. This includes the policy commitment of the European Union under the Cotonou Agreement to facilitate the integration of Pacific ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States) into regional and global economies.

FACT aims to assist export oriented, market-driven enterprises that will consistently supply overseas market with competitive agricultural and forestry products.

For further information please contact Vinesh Prasad on telephone (679)3370733 or (679) 9938746, email Vineshp@spc.int or LRD Help Desk on email lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.